MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'drugs!'. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:53:37 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2886407&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FTk3_68E2m0o%2F Johnson & Johnson’s third-quarter earnings, out today, provide the latest reminder of why other drugmakers want to be more like J&J. In a nutshell: It’s a tough time to be in the prescription drug business, what with stiff competition from generics manufacturers and payers pushing for lower costs on branded drugs. So it’s nice to have other lines of business propping up sales. J&J said prescription drug sales fell 14% compared to the year-earlier period, but the company’s overall sales for the quarter fell by only 5%. That’s because medical device sales rose a bit, and sales of consumer products fell only slightly. The relatively modest overall decline, combined with cost-cutting at the company, allowed J&J to post higher profits. (For more... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2886407 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:05:16 +0100 2886407 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2886408&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FiO-1xEu7aqI%2F For a look back at a key breakthrough in the history of the pharmaceutical industry, we turn now to Joe Davis, a retired ad guy who lives in Vermont. Back in the mid-1980s, Davis came up with an idea: Run a TV ad for Seldane, the allergy medicine, but don’t say the drug’s name. That way, you wouldn’t have to go through the whole rigamarole of reciting possible side effects. Davis figures prominently in this NPR story, posted this morning, on direct-to-consumer ads for prescription drugs. “All we said was: ‘Your doctor now has treatment which won’t make you drowsy. See your doctor,’ ” he tells NPR. It was one of the first national TV aid campaigns for a prescription drug — and sales went through the roof. Eventually, it became clear that... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2886408 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:06:35 +0100 2886408 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2886649&cid=t_171084_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FR7LcuCQ5FUE%2F Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a potentially fatal genetic disorder caused by a deficient or abnormal blood protein called C1 inhibitor. It causes swelling of the extremities, face, trunk, abdomen or airways. Abdominal attacks can result in severe pain, nausea, vomiting, cramps and diarrhea. The attacks can be spontaneous but may also be triggered by stress, surgery or infection. Death may result when the airways close because of the swelling. Only 1 in 50,00 to 150,000 people worldwide/ 1 in 10,000 to 50,000 in the US is affected by this rare dominant mutation, but the mortality is quite high (30%) so it’s really good that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a treatment Hereditary angioedema. The FDA announced that Berinert has been approved for adults and adolescents wi... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2886649 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:58:27 +0100 2886649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2886364&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fgoogle-sidewiki-impact-drug-company-websites.html by Steve Woodruff Take a look at the screen shot below, from Pfizer’s homepage. Believe it or not, I, or anyone else, can now leave comments “on” any website (such as Pfizer.com) using a new tool (currently in beta) from Google, called Sidewiki. Game-changer? You bet. While the use of Google’s Sidewiki has ramifications across the entire web, for every type of site or industry, I’m going to focus here on the pharma industry. Because in pharma, it’s all about controlled messaging via corporate sites, and by and large, the idea of people being able to freely comment on (just about) anything is anathema. The locus of control has just shifted. You can turn off comments on websites and blogs, but now, people can have their say, and the comments are accessible right there via Sidew... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2886364 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:00:05 +0100 2886364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2886365&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fseasonal-flu-vaccine-offer-protection-h1n1-influenza.html Originally published in Insidermedicine Receiving a seasonal flu vaccine may offer some protection against the H1N1 flu, although it by no means should replace an H1N1 vaccine, according to research published in the latest issue of the British Medical Journal. Here is some information about the H1N1 vaccine and seasonal flu vaccine: • They are two separate vaccines. A seasonal flu vaccine protects against the most common circulating strains of flu. The H1N1 flu vaccine protects only against H1N1 • The seasonal flu vaccine is not designed to provide protection against H1N1 flu, and the H1N1 flu vaccine is not designed to provide protection against seasonal flu • Both vaccines can be administered on the same day Researchers from the Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública in Cuernava... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2886365 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:00:13 +0100 2886365 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2886207&cid=t_171084_77_f&fid=37259&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.horizonpress.com%2Fblogger%2F2009%2F10%2Finfluenza-m2-channel.html Viral ion channels have minimalist architecture. Despite their relatively simple structure, viral channels can achieve highly specific gating and selection of ions, and the particular mechanisms appear to be different from those of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The unique structural and functional properties of viral channels make them ideal targets for antiviral therapy because the molecules that inhibit viral ion channels may not interact with human ion channels. The M2 proton channel of influenza A virus is a model viral ion channel. This small channel, whose pore is formed by four equivalent transmembrane helices, is the target of two widely used anti-influenza A drugs, amantadine and rimantadine, both belonging to the adamantane class of compounds. However, resistance of influenza A to ... Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2886207 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:42:00 +0100 2886207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2882965&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fpoll-effective-hiv-vaccine-affect-public-health.html Findings released in late September showed potential benefits of an investigational HIV vaccine. 16,000 people were involved in the three-year study. Roughly half received the vaccine, and the others received a placebo. 74 participants in the placebo group got infected with HIV, compared with 54 in the vaccinated group. The results suggested that the vaccine was 31 percent effective, and were deemed statistically significant. The National Institutes of Health called it a modest preventive benefit. The vaccine comprised a blend of two previously studied vaccines that had not worked individually. Scientists were encouraged by the data, which stood in stark contrast to the results of prior, failed, vaccine trials. But questions remain. If one additional vaccinated participant had been infecte... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2882965 Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:00:55 +0100 2882965 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2883003&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006615.html Heather Mac Donald thinks the rhetoric promoting the potential for disease prevention by doctors is overblown. We need to induce doctors to practice preventive, not just reactive, care! is a... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2883003 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2883003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2879388&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F5hrEj4EABL0%2F Shares of a small New York drug maker plunged today after FDA staff raised concerns about its multiple sclerosis drug, the first pill intended to help those suffering from the chronic condition to walk faster. The ups and downs of stock in the drug maker, Acorda Therapeutics, are all too familiar for anyone who follows biotechs. The fortunes of the Hawthorne, N.Y., company largely depend on the prospects of its MS drug, fampridine-SR. Wall Street has intense interest in the study results for the drug, which Biogen Idec is slated to sell outside the U.S. Of course, MS sufferers are also closely following the drug’s development. Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating disease, affecting 400,000 Americans, in which the body’s immune system attacks nerves. It can lead to paralysis or... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2879388 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:21:24 +0100 2879388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2879372&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fventilating-patients-spread-h1n1-flu-hospitals.html Originally published in MedPage Today by Crystal Phend, MedPage Today Senior Staff Writer Plumes of virus-laden air shooting out from the masks of patients undergoing noninvasive ventilation could put healthcare workers at increased risk for infectious diseases such as the pandemic H1N1 (swine) flu, researchers said. A positive-pressure ventilation mask on a simulated patient yielded a jet of exhaled air extending 2 to 3 feet from the face, according to David S. Hui, MD, of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong, and colleagues. Higher pressure during inhalation increased the size of the plume and the area of the room it would contaminate, they wrote in the October issue of Chest. Although there’s little evidence for the use of this treatment ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2879372 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:00:59 +0100 2879372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2875931&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fvitamin-reduce-risk-falls-elderly.html Originally posted in Insidermedicine Taking a high daily dose of vitamin D can help the elderly reduce their risk of falls, according to research published in the latest issue of the British Medical Journal. Here is some information about vitamin D: • It is a vitamin that is present in very few foods but is necessary for development and maintenance of bone health • Studies have shown that supplements of vitamin D help improve strength and balance in older individuals • It is available as a regular supplement and in active form, which is thought to be more potent but is also more expensive and associated with a higher risk of developing excessive levels of calcium in the blood Researchers from University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland analyzed data collected from eight studies on n... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2875931 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:00:38 +0100 2875931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2875972&cid=t_171084_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F09%2Fthe-lancet-2009-volume-374-issue-9697%2F Contents Page Fade Fave: Effectiveness of community treatments for heroin and crack cocaine addiction in England: a prospective, in-treatment cohort study Fade Skinny: Finds the first 6 months of pharmacological or psychosocial treatment is associated with reduced heroin and crack cocaine use, but the effectiveness of pharmacological treatment is less pronounced for users of both drugs. New strategies are needed to treat individuals with combined heroin and crack cocaine addiction. (Print Subscription Held by the Fade Library) Posted in Current Awareness, Journals Tagged: Current Awareness, Drugs of Abuse, Journals, Rehabilitation (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2875972 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:26:16 +0100 2875972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2875989&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fmarijuana-fight-on-in-california%2F It may be a battle worth getting front row seats for: California citizens against the United States federal government. About what? Legalizing marijuana. If all goes well for those who are working for legalized pot, there will be at least one but as many as three measures on the California ballot in 2010, with the goal of legalizing it in the state. The federal government would not be happy, but could they do anything about it? Legalized medicinal marijuana is already a reality in California, although the federal government hasn’t been too cooperative with even that. But, if it’s legalized overall, then the federal agencies may find it impossible to impose their order on Californians because they wouldn’t be able to depend on the State to help uphold their law. You can re... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2875989 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:56:37 +0100 2875989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2875933&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Falternative-complementary-integrative-health-obsession-toxins.html by Amy Tuteur, MD Everything old is new again and that is certainly true in the world of “alternative” health. One of the axiomatic premises of contemporary “alternative” health puts its believers behind the times … by approximately 500 years. A fundamental premise held by believers in “alternative” health is that we are swimming in a world of “toxins” and those “toxins” are causing disease. Like most premises in “alternative” health it has no basis in scientific fact; makes intuitive sense only if you are ignorant of medicine, science and statistics; and speaks to primitive fears and impulses. The preoccupation with “toxins” is a direct lineal descendant of the obsession with evil humours and miasmas... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2875933 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:00:25 +0100 2875933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2876009&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F3-9i_KhK03s%2F There’s a new estimate out today from the drug wonks at IMS Health: U.S. prescription-drug sales are likely to rise about 5% this year over last year. That’s a big swing from the decline of 1% to 2% the company projected back in April. Why the shift? We just spoke with Murray Aitken, an IMS exec who works on the company’s forecasts. It turns out that much — but not all — of the projected increase isn’t quite as solid as the numbers suggest. Part of the shift comes from inventory fluctuations at pharamacies. At the end of last year, they were selling more drugs than they were buying, which means they were lowering their inventories — perhaps in anticipation of lower demand, Aitken said. But this year, they stocked back up. In year-over-year terms (... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2876009 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:22:22 +0100 2876009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2871498&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fban-doctors-accepting-drug-company-gifts.html Select states have taken a hard line against doctors accepting any type of gifts from drug companies. And that includes food of any kind, which makes for some awkward moments at national physician conventions. So, during this week’s ACEP Scientific Assembly in Boston, WhiteCoat snapped a picture of this notice, which borders on farcical: I’ve heard similar stories from other national meetings, where, for instance, doctors from Massachusetts are barred from attending dinner CME lectures or other educational activities. Driver licenses are indeed checked. I understand the crackdown on accepting drug company gifts, but I wonder if there’s any resentment from these doctors for being blatantly singled out. Posted at KevinMD.com. Stay updated and subscribe, follow me on Twitte... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2871498 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:00:53 +0100 2871498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2872055&cid=t_171084_151_f&fid=35794&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCliffsideMalibu%2F%7E3%2FoeG8qJwlOeg%2F OxyContin detox saves lives. The fact of the matter is that OxyContin addiction is a deadly disease, and OxyContin treatment is essential to OxyContin recovery. Anyone who tells you that you can get sober outside of an OxyContin detox facility simply doesn’t understand the nature of the challenge. And anyone who tells you that OxyContin rehab can work without OxyContin detox simply doesn’t understand the nature of the healing process. OxyContin abuse always entails a severe physiological dependency. The doctors and therapists in OxyContin detox facilities are specially trained to help clients overcome that dependency, thus preparing them to meet the challenge of primary OxyContin rehabilitation. A private OxyContin detox program administered by competent professionals will set you on t... Cliffside Malibu blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2872055 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:39:37 +0100 2872055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2871556&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FOsoelu_dqYk%2F A bunch of pharma CEOs showed up at a meeting the Cleveland Clinic hosted this week. Being CEOs, they’re not the types to confine themselves to the small picture, and several had suggestions for overhauling the nation’s health-care system, Dow Jones Newswires reports. Among their suggestions: Schering-Plough CEO Fred Hassan called for taxes on sugary soft drinks, and argued for higher payments from people with unhealthy behavior. “I feel if they’re adding to the cost of the system, there has to be a level of responsibility,” Hassan (pictured) said. (Here’s more on the soda-tax debate, and on Coca-Cola’s plan to put a calorie-count on the front of its packages.) Novartis CEO Dan Vasella said spending on malpractice insurance and defensive medicine... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2871556 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:06:48 +0100 2871556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2871501&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fdoctors-nurses-h1n1-flu-vaccine-media-mentions.html Doctors and nurses should receive the H1N1 vaccine. That’s the take-home message from my latest opinion piece in The New York Times’ Room for Debate blog, published earlier this week: There are over 11 million health care providers working in our hospitals, nursing homes and medical clinics. And with studies suggesting that 70 percent of doctors plan to continue working despite being sick with flu-like symptoms, tens of thousands of contagious workers can potentially infect patients who are already sick, or predisposed to flu complications. We owe it to our patients to receive the H1N1 influenza vaccine. I’m also flattered to be included with other esteemed health care bloggers in FierceHealthcare’s Nine Healthcare Bloggers Worth a Click: These days, you can read ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2871501 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:00:41 +0100 2871501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2871502&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fcocaine-abuse-vaccine-coming.html Originally published in MedPage Today by Michael Smith, MedPage Today North American Correspondent A vaccine against cocaine was effective in nearly 40% of users of the drug, researchers said. In a randomized, placebo-controlled study, volunteers who reached a high level of antibodies after vaccination used less cocaine than those whose response was lower, according to Thomas Kosten, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and colleagues. But as the effect of the vaccine wore off, antibody levels fell and many volunteers returned to abusing the drug, Kosten and colleagues said in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry. “We didn’t expect to cure them in six months,” Kosten said, “and we didn’t.” But he said that other studies have show... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2871502 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:00:43 +0100 2871502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2871557&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FD_jpAvRPUgM%2F Like everybody else who’s following the health-care overhaul, we’re waiting for CBO to score the latest version of the Senate Finance Committee bill. In the meantime, here’s a headline number to tide you over: $121 billion. That’s the latest estimate on how much drug companies, device makers and insurance companies would pay in 10 years of fees imposed by the Finance Committee bill, the Associated Press reports. That figure comes not from CBO but from the Joint Committee on Taxation, a nonpartisan Congressional panel that weighs in on tax issues. (The fees are a kind of tax.) Yesterday’s figure was up from an earlier estimate of $92 billion. The reason for the increase: Companies won’t be able to deduct the new fees imposed by the bill from their corpora... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2871557 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:57:54 +0100 2871557 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2865629&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FQ2fDtZf6c8w%2F Warning: If you get fired after a company investigation finds you harassed employees and used company money to fix your house, you could wind up having to repay millions of dollars you collected in salary and bonuses. That’s what just happened to Lars Bildman, who was the CEO of Astra USA (which became part of AstraZeneca) in the 1990s, and who just lost a long-running legal case. The Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that the “faithless servant” doctrine allows AstraZeneca to recover nearly $7 million in salary and bonuses paid to Bildman between 1991 and 1996. Here’s a story from the Boston Globe; to read the opinion yourself, go this page and click “opinions.” As part of the fallout from the Bildman era, Astra agreed in 1998 to pay nearly $10 million ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2865629 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:00:10 +0100 2865629 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2865587&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fchantix-increase-suicide-risk.html Originally published in MedPage Today by Kristina Fiore, MedPage Today Staff Writer Contrary to information that led the FDA and other regulatory agencies to release warnings about varenicline (Chantix), a new study has found “no clear evidence” of a relationship between the risk of suicide and the smoking-cessation drug. Both varenicline and bupropion (Zyban), another drug used in smoking cessation programs, were associated with a 12% and 17% increased risk, respectively, of self-harm compared with people who used a nicotine replacement product, but the confidence intervals were wide and straddled 1.00, David Gunnell, PhD, of the University of Bristol in the U.K., and colleagues reported online in British Medical Journal. The limited study power “means we cannot rule ou... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2865587 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:00:08 +0100 2865587 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2865920&cid=t_171084_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Falcohol-use-for-pain-needs-to-be-assessed%2F This study examined the occurrence of alcohol use to manage pain in community-dwelling adults with tooth pain, jaw joint/face pain, and arthritis. Race/ethnicity, sex, and age were examined to determine their associations with alcohol use for pain. Community-dwelling adults from South Florida with tooth pain (n = 1,767), jaw joint/face pain (n = 1,199), or arthritis pain (n = 1,355) completed a structured telephone interview. Logistic regression models indicted that, similar to population rates, non-Hispanic whites and males were the most likely to use alcohol to manage pain. In addition, alcohol use for pain was highest in younger adults. Individuals who self-managed oral pain with alcohol were more likely to use prescription and over-the-counter pain medications, but this ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2865920 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:26:50 +0100 2865920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2865657&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F10%2Fget-smart-about-antibiotics-for-flu-season-prevent-antibiotics-misuse-health-risks-and-antibiotics-.html According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 50 percent of people who visit their doctor for upper respiratory infections receive an antibiotic prescription despite the fact that the drugs shouldn’t be used to treat viruses that cause the common cold or seasonal flu, most coughs and bronchitis, or sore throats not caused by strep. Antibiotics should only be used to treat bacterial infections. Given that this week is Get Smart About Antibiotics Week, we should all be reminded that antibiotic overuse is a serious problem and a threat to everyone’s health. Taking antibiotics when you don't need them or taking them not as prescribed increases your risk of getting an infection later that may resist antibiotic treatment. Knowing how and when to use an... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2865657 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:06:38 +0100 2865657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2862424&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fflu-h1n1-influenza-vaccine-recommendations-doctors-health-care-workers.html The following is part of a series of original guest columns by the American College of Physicians. by Steven Weinberger, MD, FACP In the Fall of 2009, we physicians should perhaps change the Biblical phrase, “Physician, heal thyself” to “Physician, immunize thyself” and then follow the phrase twice – once for seasonal influenza and once for H1N1. To date, physicians and other health care workers have too often been lax about following this advice, and the past data for immunization of health care personnel against seasonal flu leave much to be desired: only about 40-45 percent of health care personnel are immunized each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Equally concerning is the fact that at least 70 percent of health care personnel continue to work despite be... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2862424 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:00:25 +0100 2862424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2862727&cid=t_171084_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FEFMvTyNOCLQ%2Fbenefits-check-up-searches-1750-public.html I want to introduce you to a website for all seniors (older people) called Benefits Check Up. This service from the National Council on Aging has helped more than 2 million people find over $7.6 billion dollars worth of service. The website streamlines the process of finding programs that can help you pay for prescription drugs, health care, meals, utility bills, and more. If you have never used the site, I suggest you go there and fill out the comprehensive service form. Once you fill out the form you will be taken to a list of services that are available to you or your loved one. This is an important service that could save you money and its free. Benefits Check Up is the best site I have seen on the Internet for caregivers searching for help, ways to reduce prescription costs, and sp... Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2862727 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:29:25 +0100 2862727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2862463&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FEc4snc58ugs%2F This year’s Nobel Prize for medicine, announced today in Stockholm, is a reminder that if someone offers you immortality, you should think carefully about what, exactly, is on the table. The winners — Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak — discovered telomeres, DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that prevent genetic material from being degraded when the cell reproduces. They also discovered telomerase, an enzyme that builds and maintains telomeres. (The Nobel site explains who discovered what.) Over multiple generations of a cell, the telomeres tend to get shorter. At a certain point, this leads to the death of the cell. But when there’s a lot of telomerase present, this doesn’t occur, and the cell keeps dividing and dividing, without dying... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2862463 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:27:47 +0100 2862463 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2862078&cid=t_171084_77_f&fid=37259&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.horizonpress.com%2Fblogger%2F2009%2F10%2Fhtlv-and-hiv.html For many years, retroviruses were known to be the cause of many kinds of animal leukemias and hematopoietic tumors. In spite of the high expectation that this would also be true for humans, very little evidence for retroviral involvement in any human diseases was forthcoming. In the late 1970s, however, due to the development of sensitive and specific molecular methods to identify retroviruses and to produce large scale cultures of T lymphocytes, HTLV-I was discovered and implicated as the cause of adult T cell leukemia, a particular and relatively infrequent leukemia prevalent in southern Japan and parts of the Caribbean, and tropical spastic paraparesis, a demyelinating neuropathy similar to multiple sclerosis. The discovery that HTLV-I can be transmitted by breast milk has led to a sign... Microbiology Blog: The weblog for microbiologists. blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2862078 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:36:00 +0100 2862078 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2855504&cid=t_171084_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F02%2Fguidance-for-the-pharmacological-management-of-substance-misuse-among-young-people%2F Title: Guidance for the pharmacological management of substance misuse among young people The Skinny: Document describing good practice on the best ways to manage substance dependence among young people, a clinically complex condition which to date has had no formal guidance. Publisher: DH Size of Publication: 99p Published: 02/10/2009 Posted in Clinical Guidelines, Drugs of Abuse, Grey Literature, NHS, Young People Tagged: Clinical Guidelines, Drugs of Abuse, Good Practice, Grey Literature, Young People (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2855504 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:50:24 +0100 2855504 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2855536&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FQvL3ZQiVJJk%2F The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said yesterday that Jeff Kindler, the CEO of Pfizer, will serve on its board of directors. He’ll be one of the New York Fed’s “Class B directors,” who are elected by member banks but often come from industries outside banking. (The other two Class B directors are Jeff Immelt of GE and James Tisch of Loews.) The New York Fed is one of the nation’s 12 regional reserve banks, but it’s a particularly important one, given New York’s role as the nation’s finance capital. As it stands now, Kindler was appointed just to serve out the remainder of a three-year term that expires at the end of this year. The term was previously filled by the CEO of Pepsico, the Associated Press notes. Photo: Associated Press (Sourc... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2855536 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:05:04 +0100 2855536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2855538&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FGUTp0IKnrC0%2F Medicare just started reimbursing doctors less for very small amounts of the cancer drug Avastin. Oddly enough, that could mean Medicare will start spending lots more money on the eye drug Lucentis. Here’s why. Lucentis and Avastin are very similar molecules. A few years back, before Lucentis was on the market, eye doctors realized that they could inject Avastin in patients’ eyes to treat macular degeneration, a condition that can lead to significant loss of vision and occurs mostly in the elderly. Avastin costs tens of thousands of dollars to treat cancer patients, but the tiny dose doctors inject into patients’ eyes costs a very small fraction of that –the specialty pharmacy chain The Apothecary Shops repackages Avastin for use in the eye and sells it to doctors ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2855538 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:28:54 +0100 2855538 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2855539&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F6kzwpjyR6to%2F A year ago, eight companies, including several fierce rivals, announced plans for an unusual $100 million study to address a huge question plaguing the market for artery-opening devices called coronary stents: How long do patients need to take blood-thinning drugs to prevent rare but life-threatening blood clots from re-clogging the devices. Now, the companies are delivering. The Harvard Clinical Research Institute, which is helping to run the four-year, 20,000-patient study, says the first patients have now been enrolled. It took a year to work out logistics among the participating companies, and no wonder: most of them are at each other’s throats in the device and drug market every day. Participants include Johnson & Johnson and Boston Scientific, which just this week announc... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2855539 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:22:48 +0100 2855539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2851692&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2F2009-h1n1-influenza-pandemic-continues.html Originally published in Journal Watch Infectious Diseases by Stephen G. Baum, MD Since the emergence of this virus in spring 2009, the number of infections has remained uncharacteristically high, presaging a bad winter for influenza. The first cases of influenza A (H1N1) in the U.S. were identified in April 2009. By August 30, at least 1 million cases had occurred in this country; 9079 influenza-related hospitalizations and 593 deaths had been reported to the CDC. New cases appeared during the summer months, when influenza activity is usually rare, with incidence approaching winter levels in August in six states and Puerto Rico. Although the proportion of deaths attributed to influenza or pneumonia did not exceed epidemic thresholds for ≥2 consecutive weeks at any time during the summer... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2851692 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:00:03 +0100 2851692 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2851693&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2Fmedical-ghostwriting-influences-doctors-prescribe-drugs.html by Daniel Carlat, MD Recently, a former staff medical writer at a MECC (Medical Education Communication Company) anonymously alerted me to a particularly sleazy advertising tactic used by a medical writing company. This person had worked as a pharma-supported medical writer for several years, but recently quit because, “I really couldn’t stomach the ethical problems associated with writing for the pharma industry.” Recently, looking for medical writing jobs, this writer came across a company called “Emron–” no, not Enron, although the ethical standards of the sound-alike companies appear to be similar. Here is how Emron advertises its writing services to the pharmaceutical industry: When you’re looking to compete on quality, set your sights on Emron for t... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2851693 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:00:12 +0100 2851693 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2851737&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FqSPFLgXVHe8%2F Clinical trial guidelines from PhRMA, the big drug industry trade group, go into effect tomorrow. Here are a few interesting details, followed by a big grain of salt: The guidelines basically ban ghostwriting. That’s noteworthy because of reports over the past few years that several big drugmakers paid professional writers to make major contributions to articles that were published in medical journals under the names of academic physicians. Anyone who makes “substantial contributions” to a study, writes or revises intellectually important parts of a manuscript and has final approval over what is published should be listed as an author, the guidelines say. People who contribute but don’t qualify as authors should be listed in the acknowledgments. If authors get hel... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2851737 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:46:09 +0100 2851737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2846341&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FbgT2p-Q0KK0%2F All of the drugs approved to treat multiple sclerosis are given by injection, which is less comfortable and less convenient than taking a pill. Novartis is one of several drug makers working on pills to treat the disease, and the company said today that its experimental medicine, fingolimod, fared well in a late-stage study that included more than 1,000 patients. The company plans to apply for approval for the drug in the U.S. and Europe by the end of the year. Merck KGaA (a German company not connected to the U.S. Merck) has already applied for approval of its own oral M.S. drug in Europe, and said earlier this month that a U.S. application is imminent. That drug is called cladribine. That means that one or both drugs could be on the market some time next year — but given the FDA&#8... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2846341 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:35:49 +0100 2846341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2846342&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fksvxq7cAJrk%2F Sanofi-Aventis has spent some $9 billion on acquisitions this year, but there’s “more shopping on the horizon,” CEO Chris Viehbacher tells Bloomberg News. Among other things, Viehbacher is interested in deals that would expand Sanofi’s vaccine business — a popular trend among big pharma companies (including Merck, Abbott and J&J) these days. The market for vaccines is expected to double in the next five years, and they’re tough for would-be competitors to manufacture, Viehbacher told Bloomberg. The company may also use acquisitions to expand its biotech and over-the-counter businesses, and to expand in emerging markets, the story says. Viehbacher said he likes small-ish, “bolt-on” deals, and isn’t looking to do a big merger. &#8220... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2846342 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:59:29 +0100 2846342 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2846302&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fhospice-doctors-relying-symptom-scores-assess-pain.html by Eric Widera, MD A recent issue in The Lancet included an article entitled “The Death of Ivan Ilyich and pain relief at the end of life.” This is a thought provoking article focused on the question of whether there is overuse of pharmaceuticals to treat various forms of suffering in hospice and palliative medicine. The authors argue that a good death, as seen through their interpretation of The Death of Ivan Ilyich, may include physical and existential suffering. Tolstoy’s character finds redemption in his suffering; he remains conscious through the agony of a prolonged and painful death and ends up with a greater understanding of life. The authors further argue that such a moment of clarity may no longer occur if we rely on practices that promote complete freedom from suffering t... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2846302 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:00:01 +0100 2846302 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842449&cid=t_171084_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F29%2Fseeing-double-meeting-the-challenge-of-dual-diagnosis%2F Title: Seeing double: meeting the challenge of dual diagnosis The Skinny: Dual diagnosis is the term used to describe people who have concurrent mental health and substance misuse or alcohol problems. It affects a third of mental health service users, half of substance misuse service users and 70 per cent of prisoners. Key Issues: Dual diagnosis affects a third of mental health service users, half of substance misuse service users and 70 per cent of prisoners. There are some examples of excellent mainstreamed services in this area. However, at a national level provision is patchy and remains an area of concern. Service users with a dual diagnosis typically use NHS services more and cost more. Improving provision for users with dual diagnosis could save money. Providing effective care and ... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842449 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:10:53 +0100 2842449 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842534&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F09%2Fpreventing-niacin-rash-and-flushing-niacin-to-control-triglycerides-treatments-for-high-triglyceride.html I take 500 milligrams a day of niacin to control my triglycerides. After I take the pill my face flushes and an itchy rash appears. Is there a way to prevent this? —S.D., Sharon, Mass. Yes. Flushing and rash are the most common side effects of niacin, a preferred treatment for high triglycerides, a type of artery-clogging fat. Steps that can reduce those effects include taking aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, and generic) 30 to 60 minutes before the niacin; taking niacin with a snack or meal; avoiding hot beverages, baths, or showers within an hour or so of your dose; taking your dose before bedtime; and using the lowest effective dose. Read more about the special precautions you should follow before taking niacin, take a look at the evidence for niacin as a treatment for high... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842534 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:25:35 +0100 2842534 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842794&cid=t_171084_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbrieftsf.com%2Fcannabis-psychotic-risk%2F Cannabis use and risk of psychotic or affective mental health outcomes Background; Whether cannabis can cause psychotic or affective symptoms that persist beyond transient intoxication is unclear. We systematically reviewed the evidence pertaining to cannabis use and occurrence of psychotic or affective mental health outcomes. Methods; We searched databases from their inception to September, 2006, searched reference lists of studies selected for inclusion, and contacted experts. Studies were included if longitudinal and population based. 35 studies from 4804 references were included. Data extraction and quality assessment were done independently and in duplicate. "we conclude that there is now sufficient evidence to warn young people that using cannabis could increase their risk of d... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842794 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:52:08 +0100 2842794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842792&cid=t_171084_151_f&fid=35794&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCliffsideMalibu%2F%7E3%2Fby5TVhhejBI%2F Heroin detox shouldn’t be painful. On the contrary, an exclusive heroin detox program administered at a professional heroin detox facility can help you take the first steps towards recovery without suffering along the way. The catch, of course, is that you have to be willing to embark upon the journey. Heroin recovery always begins with a personal choice. After all, even the best heroin treatment facility in Los Angeles is incapable of helping a client who refuses to be helped. The day you begin heroin detox will be the day you start rediscovering life the way you used to know it, before heroin addiction turned you into the person you are today. For your own sake, for the sake of the people who care about you, don’t wait any longer to finally set out on the road to a better future. (So... Cliffside Malibu blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842792 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:33:46 +0100 2842792 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842495&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FgfpBYo4l6ls%2F With the spread of swine flu and mounting concern over drug-resistant superbugs like MRSA, it’s no wonder we are a nation of germophobes, as I write in my latest WSJ Informed Patient column. The CDC warns that in addition to spreading from person to person by coughing and sneezing, the flu virus can be transmitted by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Reliable data on the direct link between contact with germy surfaces and the development of disease are scant — in other words, we don’t know if touching that airplane bathroom handle was the reason we got sick a few days later. But if we want to know where the microbes are most likely to be lurking -– and which occupations are more likely to be exposed — researchers at... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842495 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:04:52 +0100 2842495 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842496&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FeGZXDF9rRVE%2F Whether men should be routinely screened for prostate cancer using PSA testing is a topic that’s often debated. The current thinking is that men should make a decision after weighing the pros and cons about screening. (Read here, here and here for more.) But men may not always get that information when making their decision, according to a study in today’s Archives of Internal Medicine. In a survey of 375 men who had discussed or undergone PSA screening in the previous two years, researchers found that while nearly 70% of men had a discussion with their health-care providers before they were screened, most addressed only the benefits, not the cons. Only about half of the men surveyed were able to correctly answer any of the three basic questions about PSA screening. The study ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842496 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:08:04 +0100 2842496 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842512&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FRr3tCIAJqsc%2F The PATRIOT Act contained a number of tools that expanded the power of federal law enforcement officials. One of these, the “sneak and peak” warrant, allows investigators to break into the home or business of the warrant’s target and delay notification of the intrusion until 30 days after the warrant’s expiration. This capability was sold to the American people as a necessary tool to fight terrorism. In Fiscal Year 2008, federal courts issued 763 “sneak and peak” warrants. Only three were for terrorism cases. Sixty-five percent were drug cases. The report is available here. Ryan Grim has more on this, including video of Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) grilling Assistant Attorney General David Kris. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842512 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:35:19 +0100 2842512 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842441&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fmigraines-stigma-chronic-pain-medication.html by Diana Lee A recent episode of the A&E show Intervention about a woman with occasional migraines and other serious health problems who takes up to 50 Percocet pills a day made me uncomfortable. Maybe Danielle, the woman featured in the episode, really does have migraine attacks. But she is also an addict. One condition really has nothing to do with the other. Many people with acute or chronic pain use pain medication without any accompanying addictive behavior, not that you would know it to watch this kind of show. Danielle’s abuse of pain medication under the vague assertion she has migraines is frustrating because it increases the likelihood all migraineurs and chronic pain patients are viewed through a lens of skepticism about their pain. As someone with chronic, debilitatin... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842441 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:00:25 +0100 2842441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2838913&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F09%2Fhatch-waxman-act-exclusivity-generic-drugs.html What does it mean? The Hatch-Waxman Act (formally known as The Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act) first passed 25 years ago in 1984 helped make inexpensive generic drugs available to consumers. This law streamlined the process by which generic drug manufacturers could apply for Food and Drug Administration approval of their drugs once the patent on a brand-name medicine expired. Under this law, generic manufacturers can forego expensive clinical trials and instead gain FDA approval based on less costly studies that show their drugs are equivalent to brand-name medicines. This cut the expense of bringing a generic drug to market, which lowered the cost of these medicines for consumers. Generic drugs now comprise more than 60 percent of prescriptions filled—up from 19 ... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2838913 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:08:24 +0100 2838913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2838900&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F2uP86El3VWE%2F There are two trans-Atlantic developments to mention in the Big Pharma game of consolidation, and both involve vaccines: As had been expected, Abbott will pay about $7 billion to acquire the drug unit of Solvay, a Belgium conglomerate. Here’s more on that deal from the WSJ. In a release this morning, the U.S. company says the acquisition of the Solvay unit “complements Abbott’s presence and expertise in specialty markets such as cardiovascular disease, neuroscience and gastroenterology” and will allow Abbott to get into the global vaccines market. Abbott and Solvay sell the cholesterol lowering drug fenofibrate together under the brand names Tricor and TriLipix. It was only in July that Abbott CFO Thomas Freyman shot down a report that Abbott was interested in Solv... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2838900 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:55:56 +0100 2838900 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2836157&cid=t_171084_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F27%2Fsunday-news-round-up-927%2F A bunch of Children’s Tylenol products were voluntarily recalled. The official list is here. The FDA approved an H1N1 flu vaccine. The National Latina Institute on Reproductive Health released a White Paper on Supporting Healthy Pregnancies, Parenting and Young Latinas’ Sexual Health, which “seeks to re-focus the conversation on young Latina mothers into one that comes from a reproductive justice perspective.” Cara at The Curvature has a discussion of Mackenzie Phillips and the way her revelations of sexual abuse have been handled. Renee at Womanist Musings links us to a woman’s chronicling of her life with cerebral palsy. Laura at Adventures of a Young Feminist talks about the recent episode of Glee and how it portrays women and pregnancy. A number of bloers h... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2836157 Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:07:35 +0100 2836157 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834245&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FXCeF4QrJbok%2F The FDA said today that Merck’s diabetes drug Januvia may be associated with pancreatitis, a serious inflammation of the pancreas that can lead to hospitalization and, in rare cases, death. Merck said that the data suggest the drug doesn’t cause pancreatitis. This is the second time in just over a year that a popular, new-ish diabetes drug has been linked to pancreatitis — the previous case was Byetta, which is co-marketed by Amylin and Eli Lilly. In that instance, several deaths were reported. The FDA said today it had received 88 reports of pancreatitis in patients taking Januvia and Janumet, a related drug that combines Januiva with the diabetes medicine metformin. The agency didn’t report any deaths in cases of pancreatitis in patients taking the drugs, but 66% ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834245 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:56:40 +0100 2834245 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832141&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F09%2Fjanuvia-janumet-pose-dangerous-risk-fda-says.html The Food and Drug Administration today warned that two diabetes medicines--sitagliptin (Januvia) and sitagliptin/metformin (Janumet) have been associated with dangerous cases of swelling of the pancreas. The FDA notified healthcare professionals and also changed the drugs’ labeling (package insert) to reflect the pancreas risk. The pancreas aids in digestion and also in regulating blood sugar levels. The agency said it had received reports of 88 cases of acute pancreatitis between October 2006 and February 2009, including many cases that were severe enough to require hospitalization and four people that were admitted to the intensive care unit. The FDA recommends that healthcare professionals monitor patients carefully for this problem in patients taking either Januvia or Janumet. In ... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832141 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:45:04 +0100 2832141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832142&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F09%2Ftylenol-recalls-childrens-liquid-medication-drug-safety-.html The maker of Tylenol is recalling 21 types of infants' and children's liquid Tylenol because it may be contaminated with bacteria. The affected lots were manufactured more than a year ago between April and June 2008. The full list of types and lots can be found on the Tylenol's Web site.Included in the recall are a variety of flavors and remedies including Tylenol Suspension, Tylenol Cold, Tylenol Plus Cough, Tylenol Plus Flu and Tylenol Plus Cold/Allergy in cherry, grape, strawberry and bubble gum flavors.In a letter to healthcare professionals, McNeil Consumer Healthcare wrote, "an unused portion of one inactive ingredient did not meet all quality standards." Specifically, the bacteria B. cepacia (Burkholderia cepacia) was detected. According to the Centers for Dise... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832142 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:03:26 +0100 2832142 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832119&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FUOi5ZgVySyc%2F A few items on the swine (H1N1) flu: The European drug agency has recommended approval of H1N1 vaccines from Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline. Glaxo told Dow Jones Newswires it expects a final decision from the European Commission within two weeks. Novartis said it is already delivering vaccine to governments in Europe. In the U.S., the FDA earlier this month approved H1N1 vaccines made by Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis and AstraZeneca. H1N1 shots are set to start in the U.S. in the first week of October. Manufacturers can crank out about three billion doses of H1N1 vaccine per year, the WHO estimated — significantly fewer than the five billion per year the WHO previously cited as a best-case scenario. On the other hand, early tests have suggested that one dose of vaccine may be enough (expert... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832119 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:20:14 +0100 2832119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2838951&cid=t_171084_105_f&fid=39005&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.allkidney.com%2F2009%2F09%2Fnew-and-upcoming-treatments-for-polycystic-kidney-disease.html photo credit: euthman Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common genetic disease of the kidney. For many years the treatment of this condition has been at a relative standstill when compared to the advances in therapy in other kidney diseases. However exciting new developments are currently in the research pipeline. These may finally allow specific therapies aimed at reducing the progression of the underlying problem, which has always been the unrestricted almost exponential growth of cysts within the kidney leading to kidney failure. The main approach to the treatment of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease has been good control of blood pressure. This has been shown to reduce the rate of progression of the disease to end stage. Patients with ADPKD hav... All Kidney News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2838951 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:31:09 +0100 2838951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832091&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fhiv-vaccine-works-investigational-trial-success.html Originally published in MedPage Today by Michael Smith, MedPage Today North American Correspondent For the first time, an investigational HIV vaccine has shown it can protect people from the virus. In a large phase III trial, the vaccine candidate reduced the risk of infection by 31.2% compared with placebo. The trial, conducted in more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand, enrolled volunteers from the community, rather than high-risk groups, as many other vaccine studies have done. In the final analysis, there were 74 infections in the placebo arm, compared with 51 in the vaccine arm. “This is the first HIV vaccine candidate to successfully reduce the risk of HIV infection in humans,” said Lieutenant General Eric Schoomaker, the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army. The army was ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832091 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:31 +0100 2832091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832095&cid=t_171084_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F24%2Fat-our-bodies-our-blog-hormone-replacement-therapy-and-lung-cancer%2F At Our Bodies Our Blog today I have a piece on a new study that has been in the news on hormone replacement therapy and its association with risk of lung cancer. The quality of the study is, uh, not great. Find out why, and what it does say. Posted in Cancer, Drugs (Source: Women's Health News) Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832095 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:58:24 +0100 2832095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828174&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F4buJhfGPKw0%2F We know that directions for some medications can be confusing, but a letter from two doctors and other two health-care professionals to the New England Journal of Medicine warns that the instructions for giving children the flu medication Tamiflu could result in serious dosing errors. One of the letter writers is the parent of a 6-year-old for whom Tamiflu, made by Roche Holding, was prescribed. The parents — the other is a primary-care physician — said they had “great difficulty” determining the correct dose to give their child despite their training. That’s because a syringe in the Tamiflu package comes with markings in milligrams, while the measurement dictated by the physician in this case used milliliters. The parents eventually figured out the correct dose by way of a ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828174 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:55:31 +0100 2828174 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2823943&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fk-ghqUfeA8o%2F Remember all that pharma M&A action from the first half of the year? Pfizer-Wyeth! Merck-Schering! Roche-Genentech! But with things rather quiet at the moment on the pharma megamerger front, let’s pause to consider what might may be in store: Pharma spinoffs. “The industry will go through more cycles of consolidation, but eventually these very large companies will break up again into smaller businesses,” Wyeth’s head of business development Thomas Hofstaetter said at a conference yesterday, according to Dow Jones Newswires reporter Peter Loftus. Hofstaetter said some of those independent operating units Pfizer and others have created could wind up being worth more as stand-alone entities. Later in the day, Pfizer CFO Frank D’Amelio said the first priority... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2823943 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:14:28 +0100 2823943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2823945&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F_EE6WNbeTQU%2F Former FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach has joined Newt Gingrich’s health think tank, the Center for Health Transformation, as an adviser. He will lead the center’s “21st Century FDA Modernization Project,” which will look at improving the effectiveness of the FDA, according to a press release. Von Eschenbach, an appointee of George W. Bush, left the agency this year to retire to his home state of Texas while still doing some health-related consulting. His government work also had included heading the National Cancer Institute for several years. The Center for Health Transformation project wants to speed up the approval of new drugs, which its spokeswoman said in a statement take 17 years to get to a patient. Doctors at the Public Citizen Health Group have said that 17-yea... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2823945 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:29:15 +0100 2823945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828163&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D7901 I am sure many of you would have the need to look up information on medication online at some time or other. Here are some handy free sites for you to check out: 1) MIMS The venerable MIMS is my favourite as it lists drugs available in Malaysia. MIMS Online is free but one has to register before you can use it (registration is free). You can select the country if you wish to. Search capabilities: smart complete as you type in the text box Information level: geared to medical professionals Additional features: interaction checker, pill images, basic info on diagnoses, patient medication info Mobile site: available but not optimally formatted for webkit browsers (iPhone/iPod touch, WebOS or Iris for Windows mobile) 2) ePocrates Online ePocrates has been available for 10 years now, starting a... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828163 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2828163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2820186&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FmDYbP_a05Qg%2F It looks like the FDA is finally moving toward clarifying what’s long been a gray area for drug and device makers: How to deal with the Internet. At a public hearing in November, the agency will try to hash out tricky subjects like what companies should do about reports of drug side effects appearing online, and how/whether companies should deal with wrong or misleading information that shows up on the Internet. Some companies try to correct information on sites like Wikipedia; others stay out of the fray, for fear of being on the hook for correcting everything once they start wading in. The hearing will also look at how rules for presenting balanced information apply to online ads and social networking sites. An overview of the hearing was published yesterday in the Federal Register... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2820186 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:11:20 +0100 2820186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2820597&cid=t_171084_154_f&fid=35773&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.openmedicine.ca%2Fnode%2F232 This study examines the relationship between prescription drug insurance and unmet need for health care among working-age Ontarians and finds that individuals younger than 65 years who do not have prescription drug insurance are 1.27 times more likely than those with insurance to report an unmet need for health care. Read the full-text version of this article: http://www.openmedicine.ca/article/view/296/265 (Source: Open Medicine Blog -) Open Medicine Blog - blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2820597 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:55:37 +0100 2820597 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2820187&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F7_LFH6nH-xU%2F Sometimes, new technology is both creepy and common sense. Take, for example, a system Novartis is testing for reminding patients to take their blood pressure meds. The company is testing inserting tiny microchips into the pills as part of a system that tracks whether patients are taking their meds as prescribed. When patients veer off course, they get a text message reminder. The technology has significantly improved adherence in a very small group of patients taking the company’s blood pressure medicine Diovan, a Novartis exec tells the Financial Times. Getting patients to consistently take drugs for chronic conditions like high blood pressure can be a problem. The drugs sometimes cause side effects, and failing to take them can raise long-term risks for strokes and heart attacks ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2820187 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:21:06 +0100 2820187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2820151&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fflu-heart-attack-risk-factor.html by Todd Neale, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Flu appears to act as a trigger for myocardial infarction and cardiovascular death, a review of the literature showed. All observational studies included in the review found an association between times when influenza viruses were circulating and increases in cardiovascular death, according to Charlotte Warren-Gash, MBChB, of University College London, and colleagues. There was also fairly consistent evidence for the link between flu and acute MI, they said in the October issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The results of studies evaluating the protective effects of vaccination were more inconsistent, although one small, randomized controlled trial showed a benefit for preventing cardiovascular death. But Steven Nissen, MD, of the Cleveland... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2820151 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:00:11 +0100 2820151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2814390&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fkj_4l8uBZaU%2F Against a backdrop of continued scrutiny about drug makers’ influence on doctors and medical education, GlaxoSmithKline announced today that it will no longer fund so-called medical-education programs offered by commercial providers. Instead, beginning in 2010, it will fund only independent medical education programs “that are clearly designed to close gaps in patient care, and that demonstrate support for the optimal performance of healthcare professionals,” according to a company statement. This means only academic medical centers with “strong track records for delivering high quality programs” will receive future funding, the company adds on its blog. Drug company funding of continuing medical-education programs hit $1.2 billion in 2006, raising concern abo... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2814390 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:05:06 +0100 2814390 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2814408&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F09%2Fantioxidant-supplements-for-macular-degeneration-how-to-prevent-macular-degeneration-ocuvite-preserv-1.html Can antioxidant supplements for the eyes fight macular degeneration? —D.C., Bellport, N.Y. Yes, if you already have the potentially blinding condition but it’s not too advanced. In a study of 4,757 people, those with moderate macular degeneration who took a daily antioxidant eye supplement (Ocuvite PreserVision and others) cut the risk of further retinal damage by 25 percent. But talk with your ophthalmologist first, since high doses of some antioxidants in the pills have been linked to health risks: beta-carotene with lung cancer in smokers, for example, and vitamin E with heart failure in people with diabetes. Read up on the symptoms of macular degeneration, find out if you should take Avastin for age-related macular degeneration, and see our comparison of 11 treatments(su... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2814408 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:36:02 +0100 2814408 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2814358&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fh1n1-vaccine-distributed-patients.html by Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today A minimum of 3.4 million doses of vaccine against H1N1 pandemic flu will be available in the first week of October, the CDC said. Those doses — all in the form of a live attenuated nasal spray vaccine — may be supplemented by some injectable vaccine, according to Jay Butler, MD, the chief of the agency’s 2009 H1N1 vaccine task force. “Additional vaccine may be available as well,” Dr. Butler told reporters, “but 3.4 (million) is the hard number that we have right now.” After the first week of October, additional vaccine will become available, he said, eventually reaching 20 million doses delivered each week until the end of the year. Butler cautioned that getting the vaccine to patients... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2814358 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:00:54 +0100 2814358 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2812391&cid=t_171084_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2Fg0nzXrOq0m4%2Fwhen_you_get_baked_by_your_bro.php I suppose under the theory that when dog bites man it's not news but when man bites dog it is, CDC's publication Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR) recently ran an outbreak report about people getting baked by brownies: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2812391 Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:55:06 +0100 2812391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2809742&cid=t_171084_113_f&fid=34933&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpalmdoc.net%2F%3Fp%3D2608 Lexi-Comp, one of the most comprehensive drug databases for PDAs is being developed for the WebOS platform Since the launch of our new iPhone applications, the Lexi-Comp software development team has been hard at work on software for the latest generation of platforms, including the Pre! We anticipate a Fall ‘09 release; in the meantime, take a sneak peak at several screenshots of the software. The screenshots look nice and I spotted this tweet from Lexi_Comp looking for beta testers from the Palmdoc Chronicles Lexi-Comp for WebOS : now in beta (Source: The Palmdoc Chronicles) The Palmdoc Chronicles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2809742 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2809742 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2809663&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FuD_NN47SayA%2F Cheye Calvo is the DC-area small-town mayor who had his two pet dogs shot and killed by a botched drug raid about a year ago.  In an article to be published in this Sunday’s Washington Post, Calvo reflects upon his experience — not just the raid itself, but on the actions of the police department afterward.  Excerpt: I remain captured by the broader implications of the incident. Namely, that my initial take was wrong: It was no accident but rather business as usual that brought the police to — and through — our front door. In the words of Prince George’s County Sheriff Michael Jackson, whose deputies carried out the assault, “the guys did what they were supposed to do” — acknowledging, almost as an afterthought, that terrorizing innocent ci... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2809663 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:16:44 +0100 2809663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2807566&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F8LNI_hK7-zA%2F The World Health Organization said in a May report that as many as 4.9 billion doses of the new H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine could be produced over a 12-month period once manufacturing begins. That number turns out to have been optimistic. WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said today said that production “will be substantially less than 4.9 billion” doses initially expected. On the plus side, he reinforced previous reports that one dose, not two, of the new vaccine seems to be enough to provide immunity against the new virus. See more here and here. Meanwhile, the latest WHO count shows that at least 3,486 people have died of swine flu to date. Body Bag Blunder: Canada’s health minister has ordered an investigation after body bags were sent to aboriginal communities in Manitoba pro... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2807566 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:35:33 +0100 2807566 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2807568&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F0edvxQUmzfw%2F Concerns over ghostwritten medical journal articles could lead to tighter rules and more severe punishments from individual journals, reports the New York Times. In its most extreme form, ghostwriting involves slapping the name of a scientist as an author on the piece who played no role in writing the article. Typically the sponsors of the ghostwritten articles are pharmaceutical companies. Read about a bevy of examples here and here and here. Sen. Chuck Grassley has been investigating ghostwriting for some time, and some medical journal editors are speaking up as well, saying that voluntary disclosure agreements about industry ties or contributions to the papers aren’t enough, according to the NYT. For instance, a recent editorial in PLoS Medicine, one of the Public Library of Scie... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2807568 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:43:11 +0100 2807568 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2807537&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fdoctor-patient-responsible-celebrity-drug-overdoses.html When it came to Michael Jackson, I argued recently that the singer himself had to share some of the blame. An op-ed in the Houston Chronicle places more blame, however, on a celebrity’s enablers, be it a personal physician or part of their entourage with access to a doctor. By enabling a celebrity’s dependence to drugs, the piece, citing the case of Anna Nicole Smith, says, “facilitation of Smith’s prescription drug abuse may well have ensured her dependence upon [Smith's lawyer Howard K. Stern], and thus his continued employment with her. Street-level drug dealers have always aimed to make their customers dependent, solely for financial reasons. The evidence suggests that these celebrity consiglieres are no different.” Treating celebrity patients exposes doc... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2807537 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:00:51 +0100 2807537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2807585&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F09%2Ffda-warns-maker-of-latisse-about-misleading-claims.html We’ve blogged about the new eyelash enhancement drug Latisse several times before. And we’ve talked about how the drug has some side effects that are rather serious for a cosmetic product, and that Allergan’s promotional materials tend to downplay such risks. Now the Food and Drug Administration has sent a warning letter to Allergan, saying that many claims on its website are misleading and, in fact, unlawful. You can read the whole letter for yourself, but here some highlights. Latisse’s Website says:In the “Is Latisse safe?” section of the drug’s website: “The FDA reviewed clinical study results to verify the identity, potency, purity and stability of the ingredients, and demonstrated that the product is safe and effective for its intended use if used as prescribed... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2807585 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:28:46 +0100 2807585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2807809&cid=t_171084_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FHM72KeO8vsg%2F Tiny biotech company, Seaside Therapeutics, of Cambridge, Mass., has raised $30 million to pursue an autism drug that would help people with Fragile X and autism communicate better. The effects of the drug are about to be studied in a clinical trial for two groups of patients, some with Fragile X, and CEO Randall L. Carpenter, who has a medical degree, explains that their medication, which controls glutamate signaling in the brain, may enhance individuals’ ability to interact with their environment, reduce irritability and help them remain calm. According to Carpenter, results in their animal models have been promising, and they expect to see results of the study, which is enrolling children as young as 6, in 2010. Mark Bear, founder of Seaside, is an MIT neuroscientist who has been ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2807809 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:16:58 +0100 2807809 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2803909&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F09%2Ftreatments-for-constantly-running-nose-treating-vasomotor-rhinitis.html My nose is constantly runny, especially when I’m eating. What could cause this? —R.F., Brook Park, Ohio It sounds like vasomotor rhinitis. This common but benign condition causes the blood vessels in your nose to swell and produce excess mucus, especially in response to spicy foods and strong odors, but also from changes in temperature and humidity or even strong emotions. If you can identify the triggers, you may be able to neutralize or avoid them. While drugs won’t completely eliminate the problem, intermittent use of a prescription oral decongestant, antihistamine, or steroid nasal spray can provide limited relief. Avoid over-the-counter decongestant nasal sprays such as oxymetazoline (Afrin and generic), which can worsen symptoms.Seasonal allergies making you miserable? Find ... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2803909 Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:30:00 +0100 2803909 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2803873&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F4qUge84dQo4%2F The ink was hardly dry on today’s health-care bill delivered by Sen. Max Baucus (pictured) when Washington’s budget scorekeepers came up with a new number for the 10-year cost of the measure. But unlike the rash of health overhaul cost estimates lately, this one put a lower figure on the bill’s expected outlays. In announcing his bill this morning, Baucus said it was expected to cost $856 billion over a decade, spending that he said would be covered by other provisions. This afternoon, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said it had come up with a preliminary cost number for the bill of $774 billion for 10 years, subject to further data checking. An aide for the Senate Finance Committee headed by Baucus said the different estimates had arisen because the committee... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2803873 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:45:21 +0100 2803873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2803874&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FDXbETzTwzOw%2F In addition to everything else, the Baucus bill wants to make drug and other medical companies to report payments to doctors and hospitals when they pass certain levels. How much triggers a report, you ask? Any individual payment over $10 or total payments to a recipient of more than $100 a year. Under the bill unveiled by Sen. Max Baucus today, drug, device and medical-supply makers would be required to provide a slew of details to Health and Human Services going beyond the names and addresses of those receiving money. The reports would have to include whether the payment was for marketing, education or research purposes, the specific name of the drug, device or medical supplies and “any other category of information that the Secretary determines appropriate,” according to the... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2803874 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:36:47 +0100 2803874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2800657&cid=t_171084_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F09%2Ffree-neupogen.html A reader in Texas e-mailed me because she has about $187,000 worth of unopened injections of neupogen that she can't use. Texas doesn't have a drug repository that would take this medicine and pass it on to someone who needs it, and she hates to see it go to waste, as do I. Any ideas, readers? Obviously, we can't break the law and put this stuff on eBay or Craigslist, so I am looking for legal ways to get these expensive drugs to someone who can use them.Read more: Recycle Drugs  @ Jeanne Sather 2009.  (Source: The Assertive Cancer Patient) The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2800657 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:53:42 +0100 2800657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2800332&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FJXIpT8HfF0M%2F Ever since Merck announced it was taking over rival Schering-Plough, inquiring minds have wanted to know: What will Schering-Plough CEO Fred Hassan do next? Perhaps now we have a clue: Hassan is joining us bloggers, at least for some of his time. In a Huffington Post piece, Hassan weighed in yesterday on the health-care debate, arguing that the discussion has unwisely ignored serious and long-term threats such as Alzheimer’s disease. Hassan encouraged accelerating research into the disease and its detection. And he recommended a bunch of changes in how Alzheimer’s patients are cared for that echo revisions to medical practice urged by many health-care experts. “My family and I have had first-hand experience: a loved one gradually became more and more disconnected — ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2800332 Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:34:04 +0100 2800332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796381&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FS53bv9G8cEg%2F WSJ health columnist Melinda Beck reminds us of how osteoporosis continues to be a serious health problem for 10 million Americans who suffer from it and 34 million who are at risk. It’s no wonder then that the drug industry continues to develop medicines to treat the condition, creating a competitive market for osteoporosis treatments that include the popular Boniva made by Roche, Merck’s Fosamax and Novartis’s Reclast. Today, new data on Wyeth’s investigational drug bazodoxifene, otherwise known as Viviant, suggest that the treatment prevents vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis better than a placebo after five years, the company announced. But Wyeth has had trouble getting the drug approved in the U.S. In May, it received, for the third t... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796381 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:06:53 +0100 2796381 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796346&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fwait-h1n1-vaccine-flu-shot.html by Cole Petrochko, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Don’t wait for the pandemic H1N1 vaccine to become available before getting an inoculation for seasonal flu, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases warned. Putting off routine flu shots in hopes of one-stop-shopping would defeat the primary line of defense against a proven threat, according to a panel representing some of the nation’s top medical organizations assembled by the NFID. Officials said they expect enough H1N1 vaccine to be available for at-risk populations later this fall, but seasonal influenza vaccine is already available. Sneezing and coughing into a shoulder, instead of hands, and staying home from work or school are effective measures against the spread of any flu, but the panel emphasized early vaccinat... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796346 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:00:27 +0100 2796346 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796384&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FIvAEkhnl3Bo%2F Powerful new drugs that fight cancer and chronic illnesses often come with side effects that can make the drugs hard to tolerate — a reason patients sometimes stop taking their medications, studies show. As I write in my latest WSJ Informed Patient column, there is a growing number of new resources to help patients manage those side effects, and to have a better quality of life. But patients’ failure to comply with their drug regimens isn’t just dangerous for their health — it’s another source of waste in the health-care system, according to a recent report by the nonprofit New England New England Healthcare Institute. An estimated one half to one-third of Americans don’t take their medications as prescribed by their doctors, the research group says, contributing... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796384 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:08:32 +0100 2796384 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796793&cid=t_171084_151_f&fid=35794&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCliffsideMalibu%2F%7E3%2Fx-gD2kg6wXE%2F OxyContin detox shouldn’t be painful. On the contrary, a private OxyContin detox program administered at a professional OxyContin detox facility can help you get sober without suffering along the way. The catch, of course, is that you have to be the one to initiate the healing process. If you’re serious about achieving OxyContin recovery, it’s essential that you be willing to take the first step. OxyContin addiction ruins lives. OxyContin treatment can save them. The day you begin OxyContin rehab will be the day you start rediscovering life as you used to know it, before your disease turned you into the person you are today. For your own sake, for the sake of the people who care about, let today be the day you trust your health to an exclusive OxyContin detox center. No decision you ... Cliffside Malibu blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796793 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:06:21 +0100 2796793 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2800515&cid=t_171084_113_f&fid=34933&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpalmdoc.net%2F%3Fp%3D2588 SirataXero of the PreCentral forums has kindly jumped in to help with the development of DrugView, an online drug reference search tool for WebOS. You can follow the ongoings here in this thread. If you are curious to see how this app works, here’s a video of it working in the emulator: You’ll see that the application allows you to select from one of three online formularies - drugs.mobi, epocrates and mims usa. The search choice for “Advil” works for drugs.mobi but it is not listed in epocrates. But from drugs.mobi, one can determine the generic name “Ibuprofen” which is indeed listed in epocrates and also mims. The video demo’s how easy it is to switch from one formulary to another and this facilitates checking drug information from more than o... The Palmdoc Chronicles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2800515 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2800515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796424&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F09%2Fwhats-wrong-with-free-prostatecancer-screening-yankees-psa-test-bat-for-the-cure-us-open-john-mcenro.html At a New York Yankees game I went to last week, the team gave free Snoopy dolls to fans—and a charity offered free prostate-cancer screening to men age 40 and up. I’m sad to say I got there too late for one of the dolls. But I’m glad I passed on the blood test for prostate cancer. Why? Well, for one thing it would be a tad bizarre having a blood sample taken at a ball game. More important, though, is that deciding whether to get tested for prostate cancer is a surprisingly complicated matter. That’s because there’s still no proof that screening for the malignancy saves lives overall, and considerable evidence that it can lead to unnecessary medical procedures that can cause impotence, incontinence, or both. That doesn’t mean that all men should necessarily skip the test. But it... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796424 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:24:07 +0100 2796424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796838&cid=t_171084_177_f&fid=38134&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbabybound.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F14%2Flets-take-inventory-shall-we%2F I’m all over the place.  Relieved, sad, devastated, bored, scared, petrified, lonely, fat, tired, exhausted, sick of talking, bloated, hungry, sick, nervous, alone. But not happy.  The one thing I am not is happy.  This may have been the right thing to do.  It was.  But nothing about it represents joy. (Source: B a b y B o u n d) B a b y B o u n d blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796838 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:46:37 +0100 2796838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2804231&cid=t_171084_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FfagZTDVImpU%2F Healing for Clients and Counselors Recovering People Working in the Recovery Field Whether clients or counselors, students or teachers, we are all imperfect human beings. We are here because we have a yearning to grow. And the strongest motivator for growth is pain. When we are significantly harmed or deprived mentally, emotionally or physically and have no safe people or role models to help us understand and rebound or heal, our mind creates defense mechanisms and... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2804231 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:43:21 +0100 2804231 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796806&cid=t_171084_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FpwnDmi5J4_A%2F Healing for Clients and Counselors Recovering People Working in the Recovery Field Whether clients or counselors, students or teachers, we are all imperfect human beings. We are here because we have a yearning to grow. And the strongest motivator for growth is pain. When we are significantly harmed or deprived mentally, emotionally or physically and have no safe people or role models to help us understand and rebound or heal, our mind creates defense mechanisms and coping... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796806 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:43:21 +0100 2796806 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2793129&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fp6qr0c7WXmQ%2F We all know that Big Pharma has been trying different strategies to boost their drug pipelines and bring more medicines to market. The keys have been to partner up with or buy other companies, often small biotechs, engaged in innovative R&D and to revamp their own research and development units. Eli Lilly is doing both. It closed on its $6.5 billion dollar acquisition of ImClone Systems in November. Today, it announced a major R&D restructuring that reorganizes its current pharmaceuticals business into four standalone units — oncology, diabetes, established markets and emerging markets — and hopes to cut an additional $1 billion in costs by the end of 2011. (Also, read here for about the new unit heads who were also announced today.) If reorganization into business un... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2793129 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:11:35 +0100 2793129 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2793130&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FFM-NWRXLJtc%2F The cancer drug Gleevec is among the most successful drugs of this decade, both in medical and financial terms. The drug has produced a nearly 90% five-year survival rate in patients with the once-deadly disease of chronic myeloid leukemia, and it brought its maker, Novartis of Switzerland, nearly $1.9 billion in sales in the first six months of this year. No wonder that the Lasker Foundation is giving its award for clinical research this year to three scientists instrumental in bringing Gleevec to market. The Health Blog spoke with one of the three, Charles Sawyers of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, who treated the first patient in a Gleevec clinical trial while he was at the University of California, Los Angeles. The drug represented a scientific breakthrough because... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2793130 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:55:42 +0100 2793130 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2793098&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Ftiger-woods-medical-futility-endoflife-care.html by Michael Kirsch, MD Consider this hypothetical vignette. Tiger Woods accepts my challenge to play 18 holes. Obviously, the gallery would be packed with golf enthusiasts who would cancel job interviews, vacations and even worship services in order to witness this historic competition. Spectators would be permitted to place bets at even money. Perhaps, my mother would bet on me, but no other sane person would. They would properly conclude that even my best performance against Tiger’s worst would be inadequate. There is nothing I could do to change the outcome. All of my efforts would be futile. Futility cannot be proved with mathematical certainly. After all, Tiger could develop acute appendicitis on the fairway and have to forfeit. He could be arrested. Lightning could strike. Killer be... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2793098 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:00:36 +0100 2793098 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2793131&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F-wrWFOhv_nM%2F If you ever needed an reminder of how the American health-care system spends a lot of money on patients for poorer outcomes than other countries, you need read no further than an example in the New York Times this morning that describes how a limit on Medicare coverage can boomerang. The scenario: Medicare’s three-year limit on payment for anti-organ-rejection drugs led to a woman needing a second kidney transplant, because she couldn’t afford to the medicine that would have allowed her to keep her first transplanted kidney in healthy, working condition. The cost of anti-rejection drugs for the patient? $1,000 to $3,000 a month. Cost of the second transplant? $125,000. The average Medicare expenditure per kidney transplant patient care is $17,000 yearly, while it’s $71,0... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2793131 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:13:44 +0100 2793131 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796796&cid=t_171084_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FfLDCAgMM_bI%2F Addictive drinking, but not minor slips, is associated with increased mortality. [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796796 Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:28:02 +0100 2796796 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2793263&cid=t_171084_113_f&fid=34933&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpalmdoc.net%2F%3Fp%3D2577 Doctors may be hesitant to adopt the Palm Pre since it runs on WebOS and there isn’t any native drug reference available yet. You could install Epocrates in the Classic PalmOS emulator but you don’t get to enjoy the full screen view in Classic. While there are online drug references including Epocrates mobile, bookmarking these and then performing searches can get a little cumbersome. Gaurav (aka gfunkmagic) in the Precentral forums requested an Online Drug Reference App. I thought this is an interesting idea, and even with my limited knowledge of WebOS programming, I managed to cook up a simple Drug search WebOS application with options to look up drug information quickly in multiple sites (drugs.mobi, epocrates and mims usa). The search results are presented in Webview within... The Palmdoc Chronicles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2793263 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2793263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2790311&cid=t_171084_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2Fwy7ppdC7ZPA%2F Whenever a high-profile person dies as a result of abusing prescription drugs, it brings to light how serious the problem really is. To that end, a new study found that overall people are abusing prescription drugs less than the before. I’d like to think that it has something to do with learning from each other. If one person admits that prescription drugs are dangerous, perhaps it will help another person think twice about their use of the product as well. It will also help people become aware of what it means to become addicted. The survey found that 2.5% of Americans (or 6.2 million) said they abused prescription drugs, which is down from 2.8% in 2007. Of course, this is a survey in which people admitted to abuse. As we know, sometimes the problem with abuse is not realizing you ... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2790311 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:05:05 +0100 2790311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2790304&cid=t_171084_109_f&fid=38954&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrontierpsychiatrist.co.uk%2Flets-fix-britains-drinking-problem%2F In a major development for Frontier Psychiatrists everywhere I wrote this article which was published on the Guardian newspaper Comment is Free website on Friday 11 September.  Not that it really matters, but up until this point this blog was semi-anonymous, and this has comprehensively blown my cover… *** The former president of Brazil, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, said last week that the war on drugs had failed and that there was a need for a new global strategy concerning illegal drug use with a shift toward decriminalisation. Although progress is glacial, his sentiments do appear to reflect a growing change in attitudes, the most concrete example of which has been Portugal’s 2001 decriminalisation of all drugs, giving it the most relaxed drug laws in the European Union. Por... blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2790304 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:12:26 +0100 2790304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2790248&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2F9-top-medical-blog-posts-august-2009.html Here are the top posts from the past month, based on the number of times they were viewed. 1. Robert Ricketson and the surgical screwdriver medical malpractice case: The medical records revisited 2. Medical students want to become primary care doctors, until reality hits 3. AMA: A look at the facts on health reform 4. Michael Jackson dead from propofol, is Dr. Conrad Murray solely to blame? 5. The consequences of doing everything in end-of-life-care 6. Countries with worse health care systems than the United States 7. How to fix the primary care shortage 8. Will nurses solve the primary care crisis? 9. What good is having health insurance if you can’t find a doctor to see you? Posted at KevinMD.com. Stay updated and subscribe, follow me on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook. Related ... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2790248 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:00:20 +0100 2790248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2790400&cid=t_171084_140_f&fid=34844&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftheicarusproject.net%2Falternativetreatments%2Fharmreductionguidegermantranslation-harmreduction-leitfadenzumrisikoarmenabsetzenvonpsychopharmaka The Harm Reduction Guide to Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs, published by The Icarus Project and Freedom Center, is now available in German - thanks to the dedicated volunteer translation work of Inez Kochius.read more (Source: The Icarus Project - Navigating the Space Between Brilliance and Madness) The Icarus Project - Navigating the Space Between Brilliance and Madness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2790400 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:54:48 +0100 2790400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2790418&cid=t_171084_177_f&fid=38134&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbabybound.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F12%2Fday-1-2%2F Mark is gone.  He’s really gone.  Word’s cant even explain how disgusting and horrible I feel here. Sunday afternoon I found coke in a small little piggy bank that I gave him.  Two baggies.  While this was a horrific discovery, it turned out to be only the beginning of what has been the worst week of my life.  Some rudimentary digging uncovered what I like to call:  a big f.ing crap pile on top of a pile of shit. Apparently our missing money can be found snuggly nested inside the nasal passages of Mark’s nose.  Along with thousands of dollars his parents secretly sent to him. There is also a girl.  Her name is Jane.  I feel as though we have become really close through the 3 messages that she left him on his phone.  We’re like bff’s now.  Although b... B a b y B o u n d blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2790418 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:46:16 +0100 2790418 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2804233&cid=t_171084_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FZCVJBsk2xPs%2F There are four recognised disorders of Female Sexual Dysfunction as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Medical Disorders. These are: Sexual desire disorders “ A lack of sex drive or low libido. This is the most common type of sexual disorder among women Sexual arousal disorder “ An inability to become aroused or maintain arousal [...] [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2804233 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:33:42 +0100 2804233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796808&cid=t_171084_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FNPCDgnbfY84%2F There are four recognised disorders of Female Sexual Dysfunction as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Medical Disorders. These are: Sexual desire disorders “ A lack of sex drive or low libido. This is the most common type of sexual disorder among women Sexual arousal disorder “ An inability to become aroused or maintain arousal [...] [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796808 Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:33:42 +0100 2796808 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2788511&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F09%2Fone-dose-of-swine-flu-vaccine-may-be-enough-for-most-adults-h1n1-vaccine.html The news is good from the early swine (H1N1) flu vaccine trials. The first spate of preliminary results were published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine, and today by the Department of Health and Human Services, and most of the findings were positive. It had been suspected that most people would require two doses of vaccine, but the studies found a robust immune response to a single dose. More trials are underway for pregnant women, adults with immunodeficiency, and children. Authorities still expect that children will require two-doses, because their bodies have less experience developing immunity.The safety profile of the swine-flu shot is also promising. The trials have produced no deaths or serious adverse events to date. The mild to moderate reactions that did occur inc... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2788511 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:30:00 +0100 2788511 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2788499&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F41Hsv-7ijEM%2F Years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, some 19% of 43,032 adults who directly witnessed the attacks still screened positive for stress symptoms, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. These symptoms were indicative of probable post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the authors from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which collected these data in 2006-2007. But many people are resilient after upsetting events, says George Bonanno, a professor at Columbia University. In his work on how people cope with negative events, from the 2001 terrorist attacks to marital woes, he finds that individuals have different trajectories. One group reacts particularly badly — these people are the ones likely to dev... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2788499 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:25:22 +0100 2788499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2785919&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F09%2Fswine-flu-vaccination-program-beginning-in-october-swine-flu-prevention-.html Public health officials, advocacy group representatives, and others met in Washington, D.C., yesterday for two days of deliberations over whether to pursue a "full-throttle," "go-easy," or a "moderate-effort" approach to the H1N1, or swine flu, vaccination program beginning in October.Since vaccination will be voluntary, it’s important for officials to gauge how much public demand there will be for the vaccine. But this is difficult because it’s uncertain how widespread and severe H1N1 influenza will be in the U.S. this fall. Yesterday, with decision time running out, the stakeholders who must plan how to allocate resources for mass vaccination learned what members of the public said about preparedness during regional meetings. From Aug. 8 – Sept. 1, T... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2785919 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:11:29 +0100 2785919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2786247&cid=t_171084_137_f&fid=35426&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheAlzheimersReadingRoom%2F%7E3%2FrA7XAmmpijk%2Fdementia-care-are-less-drugs-and-more.html Below the fold, you can read a thought provoking article about the use of drugs versus on hands personal care in nursing homes. My recent research, conversations with neurologists, and other specialist indicates that there is a growing consensus that the combination of Aricept and Namenda are getting better results in slowing the progression of Alzheimer's than is commonly known. I first read about the benefits of the combination Aricept and Namenda in July, 2004  It seems neurologists are finally becoming convinced that this is the way to go. In the article below, the author... This is a content summary. Comments welcome on the website. Click the headline to find the comments box under the article. (Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The) Alzheimer's Reading Room, The blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2786247 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:00:44 +0100 2786247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2785920&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F09%2Fshould-you-get-an-advance-prescription-for-antiviral-drugs-swine-flu-symptoms-drugs-to-treat-the-flu.html The prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) are key tools in managing swine flu symptoms. But they do have side effects, and they can lead to drug resistant viruses. So who should take them and who should take a pass?Most people don’t need antiviral drugs to treat the flu, according to our medical advisors and government health officials. So far, the majority of swine flu cases have been relatively mild. But those with certain risk factors should consider antiviral medication. And everyone should watch out for severe symptoms and seek treatment if necessary. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued revised guidance for antiviral drugs. The agency recommends treatment for people with flu symptoms who are: Hospitalized or... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2785920 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:00:00 +0100 2785920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2785902&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FM95o3XvAbhg%2F Freezing Hollywood foreheads and catering to other people worried about face wrinkles has been a lucrative market for Botox-maker Allergan. But as the company saw during the recent economic downturn, aesthetic medicine is also a vulnerable business when people decide they can endure the frown lines in favor of saving money. But medical uses are a whole different matter, especially if you can convince insurers to foot the bill. Enter Allergan’s attempt to gain approval for using Botox as a treatment for severe migraine headaches, which would add to list of other medical uses, such as treating crossed eyes or blinking run amok. Allergan announced key results from the company-sponsored studies a year ago, including the fact that one missed its main goal but succeeded on another point t... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2785902 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:52:52 +0100 2785902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2785924&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F09%2Fhealth-risks-of-latisse-bimatoprost-eyelash-lengthening-drug-safety-concerns-.html Recently, we reported on some safety concerns surrounding the use of the eyelash-enhancing drug Latisse, including some common side effects, such as red and itchy eyes, and what the ad for this controversial drug calls a potential for "eyelid skin darkening," and "increased brown iris pigmentation." Our new video takes a closer look at the health drawbacks and the advertisement behind this drug, featuring celebrity spokesperson Brooke Shields. Take a look as ShopSmart magazine editor, Lisa Freeman, and our medical consultant, Dr. Amy Newberger, tell you why the risks of using Latisse may outweigh the drug's cosmetic benefits. —Ginger Skinner For more on Latisse, read our previous blog, and find ou... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2785924 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:09:35 +0100 2785924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2782006&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FV_dzgomYqlU%2F Did the deals that industry stakeholders have made with Obama administration on health reform reflect in the president’s speech last night? Health insurers took the brunt of Obama’s attack, while the hospital and pharmaceutical industries — who have agreed to a combined $225 billion in cost savings over 10 years — were barely mentioned, notes Bloomberg. “Those deals obviously paid off tonight,” an analyst with Pali Capital LLC told Bloomberg. “I didn’t hear a peep about drug costs. I heard them talk about hospital infection rates, but there was nothing in this that would be negative for the hospitals that wasn’t already known.” Wellpoint, a large health insurer, said Obama continued his “mischaracterization” of the in... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2782006 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:49:48 +0100 2782006 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2782018&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F09%2Fkeep-track-of-your-drugs-best-buy-drugs-my-medication-tracker-prevent-drug-errors.html If you’re taking several medications, you know that keeping track of when and how to take them can be a juggling act. The more drugs you take, the more at risk you are for taking the wrong drug or one that you don’t need, or experiencing dangerous side effects from drug interactions. Whether you’re concerned about your own safety, or you’re a caregiver for someone with a chronic illness, our new tool, My Medication Tracker, can help keep medications organized and prevent drug errors. With this new tool you can maintain a complete, up-to-date list of all the drugs you take—prescription and over the counter—including dosages, expiration dates, how much you paid for each medicine, directions on how to take your medicines, and the number of refills you have left. You can also rec... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2782018 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:39:36 +0100 2782018 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2782008&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F100tM0_twe8%2F How can patients accurately assess the risks and benefits when doctors prescribe major medical treatments? It turns out the the odds of getting a serious side effect or winding up in the hospital can vary significantly depending on whether the length of time on a therapy is taken into account, according to the WSJ. The idea is that the longer you take a drug, for instance, the higher your odds of experiencing a serious side effect. Calculating risk with time taken into account is known as the actuarial method. Using what’s called the absolute method doesn’t take notice of time. Usually, medical studies report actuarial measurements because they’re more sensitive, our colleague Keith Winstein tells us, but both methods tell us something. Today’s WSJ focuses on patie... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2782008 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:46:36 +0100 2782008 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778383&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F-7PhLXAh9YM%2F While analysts are scouring the proposed Baucus health-reform bill, a draft of which has been circulating since the weekend, here’s one tidbit that stuck out in the dry language — Medicaid will no longer classify smoking cessation prescription drugs as “excludable.” Put another way, the medicines will be covered by the program that provides coverage to low-income people. That could be good news for Pfizer, which makes the anti-smoking drug Chantix, and for GlaxoSmithKline, which makes Zyban, the major competitor to Chantix. About three-fourths of the states currently provide some coverage of some anti-smoking products, but their policies vary. In some states, coverage is limited to a strict duration of time, such as 90 days. Expanded Medicaid coverage could boost t... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778383 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:56:48 +0100 2778383 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778384&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FVxnGhRFWBnE%2F In the challenging race to produce a more effective weight loss drug, biopharma Vivus may have just moved ahead. Patients in two late-stage clinical trials of its investigational drug, Qnexa, demonstrated statistically significant weight loss compared to placebo, the company announced today. Orexigen Therapeutics and Arena Pharmaceuticals are also trying to get a new diet drug approved. A $10 billion market awaits a new safe and effective weight loss therapy, reports Bloomberg. But the expectations for weight loss drugs can be high because of FDA scrutiny over new weight loss medicines. Arena saw its stock fall in March when it released its clinical trial results because the results weren’t impressive enough, despite the fact that the drug met pre-specified goals for efficacy and saf... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778384 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:29:05 +0100 2778384 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796802&cid=t_171084_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FdNjdSWO5b_M%2F While the war on drugs continues to attract world attention, it is often overlooked that alcoholism remains a major worldwide health concern. No matter what your expertise, the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796802 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:09:47 +0100 2796802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778386&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FkSiJsp4A6Qs%2F In updated guidelines about the use of antiviral medication like Tamiflu for the H1N1 flu virus, the CDC now recommends that these medicines be used to treat only those people with risk conditions or severe forms of the illness. Earlier, the CDC urged that those who had some symptoms of flu take antiviral medicines as a preventive measure. It now advocates “watchful waiting” as an option. “The majority of adolescents and adults and most children won’t need antivirals,” said the CDC’s director of the National Center for Immunization & Respiratory Diseases, Anne Schuchat. Most people just need “mom’s chicken soup, rest and lots of fluids,” she said in a call with reporters. The agency has seen some evidence of resistance to the medi... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778386 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:39:11 +0100 2778386 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2774599&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FfkMzrND24Cc%2F Roche has shaken up its senior management, replacing retiring executives with a younger crop of managers. (Read the details from Roche here.) Roche said earlier this year that 62-year-old Bill Burns, head of the pharma division, would step down at the end of 2009. Today, Roche tells us the man replacing him is Pascal Soriot, who has recently led Genentech’s integration into Roche. Soriot is a Frenchman who trained as a veterinary surgeon. The 50-year-old has risen quickly at Roche since joining the company a few years ago from Sanofi-Aventis. But he has big shoes to fill. Burns led a long period of growth at the pharma division, and has been a favorite with analysts and investors, who say they appreciate his straightforward manner and wit. A Scot, Burns has long been one of the mo... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2774599 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:52:58 +0100 2774599 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2774619&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F09%2Fpreventing-blood-clots-preventing-stroke-warfarin-coumadin-alternative-dabigatran-anticlotting-drugs.html If you're one of the thousands of Americans who takes warfarin (brand name Coumadin), you'll know it comes with drawbacks. Warfarin is used to thin the blood, in order to prevent blood clots that can cause strokes. Lots of people take warfarin, including people who have an irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation), a disorder that can increase your risk of getting blood clots.However, the effects of warfarin are not very predictable, so you need to get your blood tested regularly to check that it’s not getting too thin. If your blood is too thin, you bleed easily. This can lead to a different type of stroke, caused by bleeding in the brain. Not only that, but you also have to be careful about what you eat and drink, and which other medications you take. Alcoholic drinks, grap... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2774619 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:31:19 +0100 2774619 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796804&cid=t_171084_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FGnQ3DPnSu5g%2F This article describes a psychological model, based on studies he and his colleagues have conducted, to clarify the operation of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other movements that operate... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796804 Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:54:19 +0100 2796804 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2765956&cid=t_171084_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F04%2Fdrug-related-deaths-in-the-uk-national-programme-on-substance-abuse-deaths-np-sad-annual-report-2009%2F Title: Drug-related deaths in the UK: national programme on Substance Abuse Deaths (np-SAD): Annual Report 2009 The Skinny: Statistical data of drug-related deaths reported by Coroners in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man; Police forces in Scotland; & the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Publisher: International Centre for Drug Policy Size of Publication: 104p Published: 03/09/2009 Posted in Drugs of Abuse, Grey Literature, NHS, Statistical Data Tagged: Drugs of Abuse, GGrey Literature, Mortality, Statistical Data (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2765956 Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:00:18 +0100 2765956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2761835&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FC2JBTqPbNJU%2F One more Japanese drugmaker is making a big buy overseas: Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma said it’s planning to pay $2.6 billion for Massachusetts-based Sepracor, which sells the sleeping pill Lunesta. The agreement announced by both companies today is the latest effort by Japan’s pharamaceutical industry — Dainippon is the country’s No. 7 drug maker by sales –- to reach overseas to replace revenue streams as patents expire on domestic products. Earlier deals have included Takeda spending almost $9 billion to buy Millennium and Eisai shelling out nearly $4 billion for MGI Pharma. Sepracor has patent issues of its own, however, as Lunesta and another big seller, the asthma treatment Xopenex, are set to lose protection in the next few years, notes Dow Jones Newswires. Lunesta’... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2761835 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:44:13 +0100 2761835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2761836&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FWAKsLWe2sqU%2F The CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report is usually about as interesting as its name suggests. But an item in this week’s report caught our eye: Inadvertent Ingestion of Marijuana — Los Angeles, California, 2009 Apparently, a few months back, a pre-school teacher bought some brownies from a sidewalk vendor selling them “for a church fundraiser,” according to the MMWR. She put them out in a break room at the school. Several people later “reported that the brownies had a medicine-like aftertaste or smell; however, all … affected persons ate an entire brownie.” A few hours later, one of the teachers started looking drowsy and complaining of dizziness and “tingling of the face, forehead, arms, and hands,” the report says. The pre-s... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2761836 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:21:02 +0100 2761836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2761837&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2Fx6Lpsu27zDI%2F Thomas Frieden, the head of the CDC, is giving an update today on the H1N1 flu (aka swine flu). We’ll be liveblogging the event, which should start any minute now. 12:19: The conference begins. 12:20: “H1N1 influenza is here. It is spreading in parts of the U.S., particularly the southeast.” But so far, everything we’ve seen “shows that the virus has not changed to become more deadly.” It will affect lots of people, but most of them will not be severely ill.” 12:21: Nevertheless, the flu is unpredictable. “We have to be ready and prepared to change our approach depending on what the virus does.” 12:22 Reports from South America show that the severity and the death rate have remained steady and have not increased. 12:23 He’s discu... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2761837 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:06:32 +0100 2761837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2761796&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F09%2Fgeneric-drugs-equivalent-brand-medications.html In an effort to cut prescription drug costs, there is constant pressure to switch from brand name medications to their generic equivalents. But in this special report from MedPage Today, there may be some variability between generic medications that can lead to clinical symptoms. However, most of the data is anecdotal, and at best, based on retrospective data. For instance, when it comes to anti-seizure medications, some neurologists are cautioning about switching to generic drugs, as “for antiepileptic drugs, the window is narrower and the short-term consequences of changes in drug blood levels are greater.” Generic drugs gain FDA approval by showing they are bioequivalent to the branded original. But, “although the generic’s mean maximal concentration and area un... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2761796 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:00:59 +0100 2761796 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2762152&cid=t_171084_151_f&fid=35794&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCliffsideMalibu%2F%7E3%2FOlz50YydLho%2F Detox can make all the difference in the world. Whoever you are, however hopeless you believe yourself to be, a private detox program administered by an exclusive detox center can set you on the road to meaningful and lasting addiction recovery. The catch, though, is that not all detox facilities are equally capable of serving their clients—and only by finding a detox clinic that’s exactly right for you can you expect to get all the way to where you need to go. The best detox programs are those tailored to the unique individual needs of unique individual patients. The best detox facilities, in turn, are those which care most deeply about their individual residents. The only successful detox is that which helps you get better on your own terms. For your own sake, for the sake of the peo... Cliffside Malibu blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2762152 Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:38:32 +0100 2762152 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2761962&cid=t_171084_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FamFqwEO_CPw%2F A new report on MSN Health talks about the dangers of generic drugs. While some of them work just fine, others don’t. The article chronicles one woman’s struggle with feeling lousy and going from doctor to doctor before realizing it was the generics. I can relate to this story. I had almost the same thing happen. I had a VERY bad reaction to one generic and was told by the nurse practioner that it “must be in my head” because the “pills are virtually the same.” They weren’t the same. Not at all. I do take some generics and they work out okay. But this one particular drug did not. I think stories like this reinforce that when you’re feeling lousy, you have to be diligent about getting the care and treatment you need. Some people will just bl... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2761962 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:25:33 +0100 2761962 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2761859&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F09%2Fpfizer-23-billion-settlement-off-label-drug-use-drug-marketing-us-department-of-justice-.html The record $2.3 billion that pharmaceutical giant Pfizer agreed to pay Tuesday for illegally promoting several of its drugs should serve as a warning to consumers to be very skeptical of drug ads and to watch out for doctors prescribing drugs for conditions for which they are not approved. In a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, Pfizer pled guilty to a criminal charge and agreed to pay the fine for illegally promoting four drugs—Bextra, an anti-inflammatory drug; Geodon, an antipsychotic; Zyvox, an antibiotic; and Lyrica, an anti-seizure medication—for uses that had not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. While it’s illegal for pharmaceutical makers to promote their medications for uses that haven’t been FDA approved, it’s common and perfectly lega... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2761859 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:28:57 +0100 2761859 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757717&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F8aVzYTZL-aQ%2F You may remember something about the $2.3 billion that Pfizer said it is paying to settle a Justice Department probe into accusations of off-label marketing of painkiller Bextra, which is now off the market. That news was buried with the announcement in January that Pfizer was buying rival drug maker Wyeth. Today the details of the settlement were released and they are harsh: Pfizer agreed to plead guilty to a felony violation “for misbranding Bextra with the intent to defraud or mislead.” The settlement is the largest in Justice Department history, according to the DOJ’s statement. It will pay a criminal fine of just over $1 billion, which the DOJ says is the largest ever imposed in the U.S. for any reason. The company will also pay $1 billion to resolve civil allegation... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757717 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:27:25 +0100 2757717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757745&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=38113&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.consumerreports.org%2Fhealth%2F2009%2F09%2Fantidepressant-drug-lexapro-best-buy-drugs-treatments-for-depression-forest-laboratories.html In another striking example of how drug manufacturers pour millions of dollars into promoting their latest drugs to influence doctors’ prescribing habits, details of a marking plan for the popular antidepressant drug, Lexapro*, were revealed yesterday in publicly released documents, according to a New York Times article on the topic. The plan, released by the Senate Special Committee on Aging, shows how Lexapro’s drug manufacturer, Forest Laboratories, planned to dole out $36 million to provide lunch to doctors, which the company saw as a marketing opportunity, and another $34.7 million to pay psychiatrists and primary care doctors to deliver thousands of marketing lectures.The business plan also states that the company planned to use educational seminars for doctors as an opportunit... Consumer Reports Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757745 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:22:58 +0100 2757745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757718&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FJFAVDYXWa0g%2F Here’s the sampling from this morning’s news on health reform: Obama special adviser David Axelrod doubts that two Republican senators involved in health-care talks aren’t negotiating seriously, reports the WSJ. “If you’re sitting at a table negotiating in good faith, then you probably don’t send out mailers saying, ‘Help me stop Obama-care.’ That’s just common sense,” Axelrod told the WSJ. Democrats wants to convince the public that Republicans are to blame for the stalemate and shift opinion in favor of an overhaul. Sens. Mike Enzi and Chuck Grassley’s actions “suggested they don’t want to participate” in bipartisan talks. “They’re satisfied with the status quo. We are not,” said Axelro... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757718 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:46:23 +0100 2757718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757825&cid=t_171084_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F09%2F01%2Fadhd-stimulants-children-and-sudden-death%2F Imagine if your child was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADHD) and was started on a course of stimulant psychiatric medications (like Ritalin), a standard treatment used for ADHD. Now imagine that suddenly, your child dies for no apparent reason. Your child would be in a very small but significant group of children who die while on stimulant medications. I cannot emphasize this enough, however — this is a tiny, tiny group. This fact is likely to be glossed over in many mainstream media reports about this study. Gould et al. (2009) studied state vital statistics from 1985-1996 and found that in 564 cases of sudden death in children ranging from ages 7 through 19, 10 (1.8%) of the sudden unexplained death cases were treated with a stimulant at the time of their death, as c... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757825 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:27:00 +0100 2757825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2751895&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FUXjGf7lqFzk%2F So Cardinal Health, the medical distribution giant, is spinning off a unit called CareFusion. The outfit is so big that it will become a part of the S&P 500 tomorrow, on its first day of trading as a stand-alone public company. We figured we (and, by extension, you) should at least know what it is the company sells. “Our focus has been on the top two challenges which hospitals around the world face: medication safety and preventing hospital-acquired infections,” company CEO Dave Schlotterbeck told us in a quick phone chat today. “Our largest business is our dispensing business,” Schlotterbeck said. “These are machines that dispense medications and supplies in acute-care hospitals.” The company also sells infusion equipment for delivering drugs &#821... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2751895 Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:08:24 +0100 2751895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2751896&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FbS9WCNIAECs%2F Merck just described what the company’s new management team will look like after the company’s merger with Schering-Plough goes through (assuming it’s cleared by regulators). The bottom line: Several key people in top positions at Merck will keep their jobs in the combined company. Dick Clark, Merck’s CEO, will run the combined show. Merck’s head of global human health, Kenneth C. Frazier, will be head of global human health in the merged company. The same holds true for Peter Kim, who heads the company’s research labs, and Willie A. Deese, the head of manufacturing. As part of the merger, Merck agreed to sell its share in the Merial animal-health business to Sanofi-Aventis. Raul E. Kohan, who heads Schering’s animal health business, will continue ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2751896 Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:23:26 +0100 2751896 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2747918&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FCGaVNRDZ-7U%2F A pair of rock-star blood thinners — one is the world’s No. 2 drug by total sales, the other has been on the market for more than 50 years — could soon be facing new competition. Two studies presented at a big European heart conference this weekend showed promising results for experimental drugs tested against Plavix and Coumadin. AstraZeneca tested its experimental drug Brilinta against Plavix in a study of more than 18,000 heart-attack patients. After a year, 9.8% of patients taking Brilinta had a heart attack or stroke, or died from cardiovascular causes, compared with 11.7% of patients taking Plavix. Overall mortality was 4.5% among those who took Brilinta, compared with 5.9% among those taking Plavix. Patients who took Brilinta (generic name: ticagrelor) weren’... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2747918 Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:52:04 +0100 2747918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2747916&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJsiD9Jf658g%2F According to Rasmussen Reports, a majority of Americans believe that alcohol is more dangerous than marijuana: Pot or not, that is the question. Fifty-one percent (51%) of American adults say alcohol is more dangerous than marijuana, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Just 19% disagree and say pot is worse. But 25% say both are equally dangerous. Just two percent (2%) say neither is dangerous. Younger adults are more likely than their elders to view alcohol as the more dangerous of the two. Fifty-three percent (53%) of women say alcohol is more dangerous than marijuana, compared to 48% of men. Men by a two-to-one margin over women say pot is riskier, but women are more inclined to say both are dangerous. Unmarried adults are more critical of alcohol than those ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2747916 Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:35:27 +0100 2747916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2748028&cid=t_171084_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FaqOIzrK2JUE%2F (Editor's Note: given the growing media attention to three apparently separate worlds -cognitive enhancement via drugs, brain fitness training software, computerized neurocognitive assessments-, I found it refreshing to see our co-founder Elkhonon Goldberg introduce the topic of cognotropic drugs with an integrative perspective in the much updated new edition of his classic book, now titled The New Executive Brain: Frontal Lobes In A Complex World. Below goes an excerpt). For many neuropsychologists, like myself, science is a labor of love, but seeing patients is bread and butter. Traditionally, the clinical contribution of neuropsychology has been mostly diagnostic, with precious little to offer patients by way of treatment. Neuropsychology is not the only clinical discipline for years c... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2748028 Mon, 31 Aug 2009 03:11:08 +0100 2748028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2744057&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FJ1NhXpbO7Yg%2F The annual European Society of Cardiology meeting begins this weekend in Barcelona, and here are three key late-stage trials on different anti-clotting agents from big drug makers that are headlining the session: 1) RE-LY: This large study examined the safety and efficacy of Boehringer Ingelheim’s investigational anti-clotting therapy, Prodaxa, against the current gold standard, warfarin, for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that affects 2.2 million Americans. Some 18,000 patients with non-valvular AF and at least one other risk factor for stroke, such as a previous stroke, heart failure or high blood pressure were followed for at least one year in this long-term study. 2) PLATO: AstraZeneca will reveal the complete data from this head-to-head comparison be... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2744057 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:42:52 +0100 2744057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2744038&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2Fdrug-companies-pharma-industry-deserve-villains.html by Michael Kirsch, MD Demonizing the pharmaceutical industry has become a parlor game for many who enjoy the challenge of shooting at an oversized target. Scapegoating Big Pharma? Now, that takes guts. Never mind the gazillions they spend on research and development to create tomorrow’s treatments for cancer, arthritis, depression, infectious diseases, heart attacks and strokes. I know that drug industry executives are not all eagle scouts whose mission is solely to save humanity. But, they are not an evil enemy that we need to contain like the “swine flu” pandemic. Sure, they make a profit, and they deserve to. Drugs cost multiple millions of dollars to develop, and most of them never make it to market. Those that do, after years of testing and F.D.A. review, can be summaril... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2744038 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:00:04 +0100 2744038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2744059&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FQYtGfPuqzEI%2F Overall, corporate America cut R&D spending in the first half of this year — no surprise, given the tenor of the times. But some companies bucked the trend. BusinessWeek is out with a list of 25 companies that aggressively increased R&D spending, and drug makers snagged the top spots. Merck was number one on the list, boosting its R&D spending by more than $370 million. But much of that spending wasn’t the traditional pharma R&D work of paying its own scientists to discover and develop new drugs; instead, it was licensing payments to small biotech shops and the like for rights to promising experimental compounds. Biogen Idec, Eli Lilly, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Gilead rounded out the top five, for varying reasons. Lilly folded in ImClone after last year&#82... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2744059 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:00:09 +0100 2744059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2741361&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FpP49lq2ZmVk%2F The big health insurer UnitedHealth is going to start giving discounts to patients who promptly refill prescriptions for certain drugs with high co-pays, Dow Jones Newswires reports. The idea is to encourage patients to stick to their drug regimens. Poor adherence is a common problem, and there’s pretty clear evidence that patients are more likely to stay on their meds when co-pays are lower. UnitedHealth negotiated at least part of the $20 rebates with drug makers — who have their own incentive to keep patients coming back, given tight economic conditions and tough competition from cheaper generics. Drugs that will be eligible for the discount include antidepressants such as Eli Lilly’s Cymbalta and Wyeth’s Effexor XR, and asthma drugs such as GlaxoSmithKline&#8217... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2741361 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:05:27 +0100 2741361 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2741316&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2Fconsumer-prescription-drug-ads-reined.html I’ve previously written that direct to consumer drug advertising should be banned, similar to the rest of the world, except for New Zealand. The main reason reason is that many of the advertised products are for expensive, brand name drugs that have little advantage over their generic counterparts. In a New York Times’ Room for Debate post on the issue, various viewpoints are presented. I find myself agreeing with internist Jerry Avorn, who writes, “Doctors spend precious minutes of ever-shorter office visits explaining to patients why their cholesterol drug is every bit as good as the one they saw on television, or why feeling sad at the death of a loved one doesn’t require an antidepressant. Hawking medications to the public encourages rapid adoption of new products t... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2741316 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:00:25 +0100 2741316 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2741343&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F8kvyN8T05_g%2F While the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency constantly raids factories and workplaces looking for peaceful and hard-working undocumented immigrants to kick out of the country, the same federal government agency brings to the U.S. dangerous Mexican drug traffickers who—while continuing their criminal activities in Mexico and the U.S.—also serve as informants to the federal authorities in their war on drugs. Can someone explain this to me? (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2741343 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:13:11 +0100 2741343 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2741364&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FzDqFom_Pid0%2F China is setting up an organ donation registry in an effort to change a system that relies heavily on organs harvested from executed prisoners and black-market sellers. The goals of the program are to ensure quality, stop organ trading and “transplant tourism” and protect the rights of donors, according to the China Daily, a state-run English-language paper. Like in other countries, there’s a shortage of donors compared to those who need transplants. Chinese officials estimate that 1.5 million Chinese need transplants annually but only 10,000 are performed due to donor shortages. Only about 130 people have pledged to donate their organs since 2003. Currently, an estimated 65% of the organs come from prisoners who have been executed, notes the WSJ’s China Journal. A... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2741364 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:12:13 +0100 2741364 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2737709&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2F6O8gg0rnDHk%2F The Democratic proposals being debated this year could lead to the biggest shift in federal health care policy since the advent of Medicare in the 1960s. That raises an interesting question: What did the debate over Medicare look like? There was a big fight — and LBJ suppressed the true projected costs of the program as he pushed it through Congress, according to an NPR interview with James Morone, a Brown political scientist. Morone wrote a book on presidents and health policy, and listened to tapes LBJ made of his phone conversations during the Medicare debate. He concluded that “if the true costs of Medicare had been known — if Johnson hadn’t basically hidden them — the program would never have passed,” Morone said. That kind of behavior would be difficult tod... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2737709 Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:52:54 +0100 2737709 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2737682&cid=t_171084_85_f&fid=34587&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kevinmd.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F08%2Fdrug-company-ethics-and-the-pharmaceutical-industrys-pursuit-of-profit.html by Steve Woodruff Ghostwritten clinical papers. Off-label marketing. Channel-stuffing. Hiding of negative data. Pharma companies have earned a hefty percentage of the opprobrium heaped on them by a skeptical public. And it’s mainly because of a failure to heed the Golden Rule. We all know the “classical” Golden Rule: Treat others the way you’d wish to be treated. But in so many cases, drug manufacturers seem to adhere to a different version: the Gold-in Rule: Do whatever is necessary to bring in the maximum gold, without getting caught. Business ethics can seem complicated. Frankly, I think most of it boils to down to a pretty straightforward choice: Do I do what’s right? Or do I do what is expedient to try to ensure maximum (income/profitability/bonus/stock price/etc... Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2737682 Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:00:08 +0100 2737682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2734278&cid=t_171084_151_f&fid=35794&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCliffsideMalibu%2F%7E3%2FhCgvvZw_jok%2F OxyContin detox shouldn’t be painful. On the contrary successful OxyContin treatment is first and foremost a healing experience. The catch, of course, is that an OxyContin detox program can only be successful if it’s administered by compassionate professionals at a private OxyContin detox facility. In the end, you can’t expect to get better unless you get help from people who know exactly what they’re doing. The good news is that there are plenty of OxyContin detox clinics in Los Angeles. The bad news, though, is that they aren’t all equally capable of meeting the needs of their clients. For your own sake, for the sake of the people who care about you, it’s essential that you thoroughly research your options before you make an OxyContin detox decision. The right choice will cha... Cliffside Malibu blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2734278 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:23:55 +0100 2734278 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2734022&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36224&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.wsjonline.com%2F%7Er%2Fwsj%2Fhealth%2Ffeed%2F%7E3%2FUc9uHToJD3o%2F Are U.S. drug makers more innovative than their European counterparts? The answer is yes, according to a 2006 paper published in the journal Health Affairs that examined the number of first-in-class medicines that were brought to market by U.S., European and Japanese pharma and biotech companies from 1982 to 2003. But considered another way — How much innovation do you get for each dollar of R&D? — you get a different answer, according to a paper published on-line at Health Affairs today, The author of the study, Donald Light, an academic doc who just started a visiting professorship at Stanford, reanalyzed the data from the 2006 paper by controlling for the size of companies’ investment in research and development. All other assumptions remained unchanged from the ... WSJ.com: Health Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2734022 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:16:48 +0100 2734022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2734013&cid=t_171084_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOZLe-5aTXOA%2F Following in Mexico’s footsteps last week, the Supreme Court of Argentina has unanimously ruled today on decriminalizing the possession of drugs for personal consumption. For those who might be concerned with the idea of an “activist judiciary,” the Court’s decision was based on a case brought by a 19 year-old who was arrested in the street for possession of two grams of marijuana. He was convicted and sentenced to a month and a half in prison, but challenged the constitutionality of the drug law based on Article 19 of the Argentine Constitution: The private actions of men which in no way offend public order or morality, nor injure a third party, are only reserved to God and are exempted from the authority of judges. No inhabitant of the Nation shall be obliged to perform what ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2734013 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:35:21 +0100 2734013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2734275&cid=t_171084_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fwomen%25e2%2580%2599s-libido%2F Your libido is your sexual interest and desire. Loss of libido may be experienced by women before or after menopause and may result in reduced desire and sexual experiences that are no longer satisfying or pleasurable. With greater awareness, knowledge and discussion about sexual health issues, more women are seeking advice for low libido from health practitioners. Low libido is a very sensitive issue and often occurs because of stress, substance use or abuse, tiredness, relationship difficulties, or depression. It can also be caused by a variety of medications used to treat unrelated conditions. Rest, relaxation, recreation and exercise “ like walking, playing a sport, yoga, dancing or gardening “ can all have positive effects on libido, as well as on health, bones, moods and general ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2734275 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:46:43 +0100 2734275